Being the world's melting pot comes with the delicious advantage of having your pick of a wide variety of cuisines from around the world. As it turns out, eating spicy foods is popular in the United States, and may even be on the upswing. According to a recent survey from Tums, 46% of Americans love a good spicy taco, with 41% reporting that they love salsa. Buffalo hot wings and chili tied at 37%. But not all of those surveyed claimed to be able to tolerate the spice. While 44% described themselves as highly tolerant, 36% stated they avoided spicy foods.
作为世界大熔炉，你可以选择来自世界各地的各种美食，这是一个美味的优势。事实证明，吃辣的食物在美国很受欢迎，甚至可能正在上升。根据Tums最近的一项调查，46%的美国人喜欢美味的辣玉米卷，41%的人喜欢萨尔萨酱。水牛城辣鸡翅和辣椒并列37%。但并不是所有接受调查的人都声称能够忍受这种香料。44%的人认为自己对辣味的忍耐力很强，36%的人说他们避免吃辛辣食物。
Tolerance to spicy food will vary from person to person and there are those who will be more sensitive than others. For some, whether it's Mexican tacos, Indian curry, a classic Cajun gumbo, or Buffalo chicken wings, getting the runs whenever they eat spicy food is what keeps them running away from the hot stuff. Diarrhea and other kinds of discomforts that can result from eating spicy food are typically due to an ingredient called capsaicin, which is in the cayenne or chili pepper that often gives spicy foods their kick. The capsaicin activates a protein that works to protect our body from what is interpreted as harmful burning. As a result, the small intestine and colon will speed up the digestive process when you eat spicy food, causing some people to have to run to the bathroom (via Verywell Health).
对辛辣食物的耐受性因人而异，有些人会比其他人更敏感。对一些人来说，无论是墨西哥玉米饼、印度咖喱、经典的卡津秋葵汤还是布法罗鸡翅，每当他们吃辣的食物时，就会狂奔，这是让他们远离辣的东西的原因。腹泻和其他由吃辛辣食物引起的不适通常是由一种叫做辣椒素的成分引起的，这种成分存在于辣椒中，通常会给辛辣食物带来刺激。辣椒素可以激活一种蛋白质，这种蛋白质可以保护我们的身体免受有害燃烧的伤害。因此，当你吃辛辣食物时，小肠和结肠会加速消化过程，导致一些人不得不跑去洗手间。
Ways you can manage spicy food in your diet
如何在饮食中控制辛辣食物
While spices are known to potentially possess certain health benefits such as antioxidant properties, many spicy foods can contribute to stomach pain, especially spicy foods that are high in fat. When combined with alcohol, stomach issues are even more likely (via Livestrong). Discomforts such as diarrhea or an upset stomach will also likely increase if you eat spicy food on an empty stomach.
虽然众所周知，香料可能具有某些健康益处，如抗氧化特性，但许多辛辣食品可能导致胃痛，特别是高脂肪的辛辣食品。当与酒精混合使用时，胃部问题的可能性更大。如果空腹吃辛辣食物，腹泻或胃部不适也会增加。
If you're eating something spicy on an empty stomach, you can help stave off potential discomfort by integrating dairy such as milk or yogurt with your meal. According to Ganjhu, this is why yogurt is often served as an accompaniment with spicy Indian dishes.
如果必须空腹吃一些辛辣的东西，可以用牛奶或酸奶等乳制品搭配，从而避免潜在的不适。据Ganjhu说，这就是为什么酸奶经常与辛辣的印度菜肴搭配的原因。
Kenneth Brown, M.D, a board-certified gastroenterologist, told Verywell Health that another preventive measure you can take if you typically suffer after eating spicy foods is to eat a small amount of food that is sweet to help neutralize the spice. To reduce other symptoms caused by spicy food, such as acid reflux and nausea, try peppermint tea or ginger products such as tea, ginger ale and ginger bread.
肯尼斯·布朗医学博士是一名经过认证的胃肠病学家，他告诉Verywell Health，如果吃了辛辣食物后经常感到痛苦，你可以采取的另一种预防措施，就是吃少量的甜味食物，以帮助中和辛辣。为了减轻辛辣食物引起的其他症状，如胃酸倒流和恶心，可以尝试薄荷茶或姜制品，如茶、姜啤酒和姜面包。
