Nutritionist weighs in on whether you should eat spicy food when it’s hot out

It’s often said that spicy foods can help beat the heat on hot days, but one Saskatoon nutritionist thinks it’s more complicated than that.

Brooke Bulloch, a registered dietitian with Food to Fit Nutrition, said there is science behind the claim that cranking up the heat on your plate can help you cool down.

It all comes down to one thing: Sweat.

“Sweat is a really important aspect that your body uses to cool itself,” she explained. “When you eat something spicy, it’s not that it raises your body temperature, but your brain is tricked … to produce perspiration.”

It’s an effect that can be used even more effectively if you can find shade and somewhere with a breeze.

“We’ve all been there. We’ve had something that’s a little too spicy and we start sweating on the forehead … On a hot day, that can really help cool you, especially when you get a breeze on your face,” she said.

She pointed to a study in the Journal of Medical Physiology that showed subjects did manage to lower their body temperatures thanks to spicy food.

However, there are some downsides that Bulloch thinks it’s important to keep in mind.

“I probably wouldn’t encourage people to use spicy food for its cooling effect … Everyone’s reaction to spice is different. Some people have a really high tolerance to it, but others don’t,” she said.

Obviously, it can cause pain in the mouth if it’s too hot. Spice can also cause digestive problems, especially in people with irritable bowel syndrome.

Instead, she recommends focusing on a different method of keeping yourself healthy and cool.

“The better way to keep your body cool is, of course, hydration — drinking lots and lots of fluids, and eating fruits or vegetables, things that have fluids in them, as well as some electrolytes,” she explained.

A heat wave has hit much of the province this week. Record-breaking temperatures have been recorded in many communities, including Regina, Moose Jaw and Weyburn.