With hot sauce’s recent rise in popularity, I’ve seen some ridiculous myths floating around the internet. As fellow spice enthusiasts, I like to think most of you can separate fact from fiction regarding our favorite condiment.
Here I’ve compiled some of the most common myths I’ve come across. If you wanna test any of these for yourself, I know some good hot sauce you can try (It’s mine).
Myth #1: Spicy foods can induce labor.
Someone did tell me at a market last year that my sauce was the last thing they ate before going into labor though, so who knows?!
But to keep it short, this is false. So although many women have tried to kick start the birthing process with the help of something spicy, it’s not likely to work – even so, studies have shown that about 11 percent of women surveyed tried eating something spicy to speed things up.
Myth #2: Hot sauce can damage your taste buds.
One of the most persistent hot sauce myths is that it can permanently damage your taste buds. However, this is not true. Your taste buds are constantly regenerating, and any temporary discomfort you may feel from eating hot sauce will not cause permanent damage (maybe just mental).
Myth #3: Hot sauce causes ulcers.
Another myth surrounding hot sauce is that it can cause ulcers. While it is true that spicy foods can exacerbate ulcers in some people, there is no evidence to suggest that hot sauce causes ulcers. In fact, some studies have even shown that capsaicin, the compound that makes peppers spicy, may have a protective effect against ulcers.
Myth #4: Spicy foods help you lose weight.
True (kind of). Capsaicin stimulates the brown fat in your body, which expends energy as heat, so technically you are burning a small about of calories by eating hot sauce. Ingesting capsaicin can also temporarily increase metabolism by nearly 8%!
I’ll talk about this in another blog, but the real way hot sauce helped me lose weight is by making boring, routine, “healthy” meals taste different an exciting night after night. The same chicken and rice can be made to taste like everything from a tropical dish to smoked BBQ with the dash of some sauce.
Myth #5: Hot sauce is bad for your digestion.
Many people believe that hot sauce can cause indigestion or other digestive problems. However, there is no scientific evidence to support this claim. In fact, some research has even suggested that capsaicin can improve digestion by increasing the production of digestive enzymes.
Myth #6: Hot sauce can cure a cold.
Maybe I’ll market my sauce this way, like a snake oil salesman of yore. “Just one drop is guaranteed to cure the common cold”. Unfortunately, there is no scientific evidence to support this claim. While spicy foods can help to clear your sinuses and provide some relief from cold symptoms, they cannot cure a cold or other viral infections. Maybe I’ll market my sauce this way, like a snake oil salesman of yore. “Just one drop is guaranteed to cure the common cold”.
Have you heard a wild or just plain dumb hot sauce myth yourself? Tell me down in the comments.
1 comment