Is eating spicy food causing you mental health issues? Doctor explains how it affects your brain and gut health

Ameera Shah warned that eating spicy foods can harm your gut health and affect your mental wellbeing. She emphasized the dangers in a recent podcast.

Many of us enjoy eating spicy foods and revel in the challenge of trying to stomach the hottest of hot sauces or dishes. But is this habit of consuming intense food items good for us? According to Ameera Shah, executive chairperson and director of Metropolis Healthcare, spicy food is killing your brain and causing you mental health issues.

Does spicy food affect your mental health?

Ameera was featured in a March 18 episode of Figuring Out With Raj Shamani. In one segment of the podcast, while discussing the 'fastest-growing diseases in India, she talked about how our gut health is very deeply connected to our mental health. She explained that though many people love eating spicy food, it harms our gut.

“…If you eat spicy foods, it can cause disruptions like holes in your gut lining because it is burning it. And there's bacteria flowing from your gut to the brain because the maximum number of nerves are actually connecting your gut to your brain. Maximum pathways connect your gut to your brain,” Ameera explained. She added that this bacteria then flows to your brain, which then leads to a bunch of mental health issues.

“If we look at our bodies holistically rather than separate organs, it’s just one organism looking for balance, looking for a healthy place to live, looking for us to make a body reasonably in balance on everything and not to do anything, which is extreme to it makes it difficult place,” she added.

Why is sugar poison?

Meanwhile, sugary items are also harmful to our health, not just spicy food. Explaining why sugar is often called a poison in the same segment, Ameera said, “When sugar gets released into your blood, it spikes your blood sugar levels. You get an artificial high, and then you very quickly get an artificial low. So, your moods actually go up and down.”

"So, the more cr*p you eat, the more processed foods or sugar you eat, including maida, pizzas and more, all of that gets converted into sugar in your bloodstream. And you keep having this up and down, and your moods become actually very unstable. Suddenly you feel great, suddenly you feel low and then good again. That becomes an addiction. So, there is no constant because these feelings are all artificially induced.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.