Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot? Then Eat Chili!

13 May

The surprising cooling magic of spicy food (and why your Summer plate should come with a kick).

The sun’s finally out in Dingle and we’re not complaining — but here’s the spicy little secret to staying cool in the heat...

No need to hop on a flight or panic about passports — this Irish summer is finally serving up some real sunshine, and it’s got us all reaching for sun hats, sandals… and hot sauce?

Yes, you read that right. If you're feeling the heat, it's time to turn up the spice. It might sound mad, but eating chili peppers in hot weather can actually help you stay cool. That’s not just a wild theory — it’s ancient wisdom, backed up by science and spiced with a bit of summer magic.

A Little History, A Lot of Heat

Chilli peppers — especially cayenne — have been bringing the heat (and the healing) since 7000 BC. Indigenous people in Mexico and Peru used them in both cooking and medicine, and over time they travelled the globe, thanks in part to Christopher Columbus and some bold 16th-century taste testers.

Fast-forward to today and modern medicine now recognises the active ingredient, capsaicin, as a powerful tool for everything from circulatory health to pain relief. It’s even used in topical treatments for arthritis and nerve pain.

So… Why Does It Burn?

That sizzle on your tongue? Not a taste — it’s actually pain, as far as your brain is concerned. And here’s the wild part: that very sensation can actually dampen pain over time. Capsaicin helps deplete substance P, the chemical that sends pain messages to your brain. Less substance P, less pain. Genius.

It’s even used in clinics for conditions like:

Osteoarthritis
Shingles pain
Back pain
Diabetic nerve pain
Post-surgical pain

Good for the Heart (and the Fingers & Toes)

Capsaicin also gives your circulation a boost by dilating blood vessels. That’s why it’s used for Raynaud’s Disease, frostbite (yep — in Japan and China), and to help dissolve blood clots. More blood flow = more warmth and healing. But a note of caution: If you're on medications or have a medical condition, check with your healthcare provider before using capsaicin as a treatment.

Wait… Hot Food Cools You Down?

Here’s the summer plot twist: Eating hot, spicy food increases sweating, which is your body’s natural way to cool down. Capsaicin gets your blood flowing and your skin glistening, drawing heat to the surface so it can evaporate away. That’s why the spiciest cuisines often come from the hottest climates — not a coincidence, but a clever evolutionary trick. Nature knows best.

How Hot is Hot? Meet the Scoville Scale

In 1912, a clever American pharmacist, Wilbur Scoville, came up with a way to measure a chilli’s heat by testing how much it needed to be diluted before the burn disappeared. The result? Scoville Heat Units (SHU)… and not to be confused with Sacred Heart University, which has a campus in Dingle for those of you living far away and wondering why I even mentioned that! Anyway, back to the Scoville Heat Units..

Here’s a fiery sample of the scale:

Tabasco: 3,750 SHU
Jalapeño: 6,000 SHU
Cayenne: 50,000 SHU
Habanero: 150,000 SHU
Carolina Reaper: 1.5 million SHU
Pepper Spray: 5.3 million SHU 😳… eek!

Summer Eating, the Natural Way

In Traditional Chinese Medicine and seasonal eating traditions, Summer is ruled by fire energy — linked to the heart, small intestine, blood vessels and even the tongue. Eating chili during this season helps stimulate and balance these organs, stoking your internal fire without overheating. And the emotion most tied to Summer energy? Joy. So bring on the laughter, the al fresco meals and the joyful bite of a perfect chilli salsa.

This summer, let your food mirror the sunshine — bold, bright and a little bit cheeky. A few flakes of cayenne or a splash of chili oil might just be the coolest thing you do all week.