• If you can't find a "Hot" category that fits, post it here!

Something to think about....

staffing

staffing

Okay, y'all are a pretty sharp bunch when it comes to peppers....particularly those of you who produce sauces and other various instruments of heat delivery. I've seen posts indicating that the acidity has to be just right, or bacteria, etc. can grow in your sauce. I also know (via biology) that tomatoes are acidic. One thing I didn't know (and you probably do) is that peppers are basic....i.e. have a pH of over 7.
This is interesting. Many years ago, I was having problems with heartburn 4-5 nights a week. On a whim, I upped my intake of hot sauce....kind of a "hair of the dog" approach, I guess. Wonder of wonders, I haven't had a problem with heartburn since, and developed a new hobby (hot sauce) in the meantime.
I was talking to a physician at the ER where I volunteer on Saturdays, and he mentioned the basicity of peppers to me, and i started thinking: I asked the doctor "is it possible that hot sauce could, then (as long as it is not tomato based, which would balance out the pH) could actually help people with acid reflux, heartburn, etc?"
He looked at me with the strangest look on his face, and he said "You know? You might actually be on to something there....peppers are so basic that they would tend to neutralize quite a bit of stomach acid, HCl, thereby lessening the amount of heartburn a person suffers"

I bet most of you have figured this out, but it is food for thought.

Josh
 
Eating spicy food increases saliva and gastric juice production in the body. I would not be immediately convinced that the base quality of a pepper would be enough to counter the extra production. The base quality is not enough to remove the acidity of citrus or vinegar in sauces but then again not all acids react the same. However the extra saliva produced will have a blocking effect on the reflux.
 
staffing said:
Okay, y'all are a pretty sharp bunch when it comes to peppers....particularly those of you who produce sauces and other various instruments of heat delivery. I've seen posts indicating that the acidity has to be just right, or bacteria, etc. can grow in your sauce. I also know (via biology) that tomatoes are acidic. One thing I didn't know (and you probably do) is that peppers are basic....i.e. have a pH of over 7.
This is interesting. Many years ago, I was having problems with heartburn 4-5 nights a week. On a whim, I upped my intake of hot sauce....kind of a "hair of the dog" approach, I guess. Wonder of wonders, I haven't had a problem with heartburn since, and developed a new hobby (hot sauce) in the meantime.
I was talking to a physician at the ER where I volunteer on Saturdays, and he mentioned the basicity of peppers to me, and i started thinking: I asked the doctor "is it possible that hot sauce could, then (as long as it is not tomato based, which would balance out the pH) could actually help people with acid reflux, heartburn, etc?"
He looked at me with the strangest look on his face, and he said "You know? You might actually be on to something there....peppers are so basic that they would tend to neutralize quite a bit of stomach acid, HCl, thereby lessening the amount of heartburn a person suffers"

I bet most of you have figured this out, but it is food for thought.

Josh
Click to expand...


Great thinking Josh, but I'm not convinced that the increased pepper inducing is the cause of your relief. Vinegar has long been held as a relieving concoction for acid indigestion... Perhaps it's because the peppers are drowned in it?

T
 
I always used the remedy my mom made me take...a tablespoon full(or two) of vinegar for violent heartburn....works every time.
 
Sickmont said:
I always used the remedy my mom made me take...a tablespoon full(or two) of vinegar for violent heartburn....works every time.
Click to expand...

I thought it was the most insane thing I've ever heard, but I have friends who swear by it.

T
 
Tina Brooks said:
I thought it was the most insane thing I've ever heard, but I have friends who swear by it.

T
Click to expand...

Only thing i can guess is that when you do that your body senses the extra acid and shuts down production
 
Tina Brooks said:
Great thinking Josh, but I'm not convinced that the increased pepper inducing is the cause of your relief. Vinegar has long been held as a relieving concoction for acid indigestion... Perhaps it's because the peppers are drowned in it?

T
Click to expand...

=================================
Looks like I'll have to, er, conduct more personal research into the subject by ingesting more hot sauce....:shocked:
 
This subject comes up often in reference to chiles and picante food in general.

In Mexico, the curanderos prescribe chiles to get rid of heartbhurn.

I will also note that I used to get indigestion with greasy meat dishes until I began to make them picante and the heartburn went away.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top