Too Hot To Handle?

Move over, ghost pepper and Carolina Reaper, there’s a new hottest chili pepper in town: Pepper X. This wrinkly little fruit packs a fiery punch like no other. It was bred by Ed Currie, a pepper grower in South Carolina. He says that trying it “is like swallowing a flaming charcoal briquette.” 

And the discomfort doesn’t stop there. After eating a whole Pepper X, Currie was violently sick for hours. He developed painful stomach cramps. “I literally couldn’t move,” says Currie. “It took about two hours before I could sit up without breaking out in cold sweats and feeling like I was gonna throw up. It was another hour and a half before I stopped sweating and shivering and could stand without being dizzy.” 

Chili peppers are used all over the world to give dishes a spicy kick. But new breeds of peppers are reaching mind-blowing extremes. Today super-spicy foods are more popular than ever. Online trends challenge people to eat ultra-hot chips or noodles. And millions watch celebrities eat progressively spicier chicken wings on the popular YouTube show Hot Ones. Often these challenges end with stomach-churning reactions. That raises the question: Can a pepper ever be dangerously hot?

Move over, ghost pepper and Carolina Reaper. A new chili pepper is the hottest in town. This wrinkly little fruit is Pepper X. It packs a fiery punch like no other. Ed Currie bred Pepper X. He’s a pepper grower in South Carolina. He says that trying it “is like swallowing a flaming charcoal briquette.” 

And the pain doesn’t stop there. After Currie ate a whole Pepper X, he was violently sick for hours. He developed painful stomach cramps. “I literally couldn’t move,” says Currie. “It took about two hours before I could sit up without breaking out in cold sweats and feeling like I was gonna throw up. It was another hour and a half before I stopped sweating and shivering and could stand without being dizzy.” 

Chili peppers are used all over the world. They give dishes a spicy kick. But new breeds of peppers are reaching mind-blowing extremes. Super-spicy foods are more popular than ever. For online challenges, people eat ultra-hot chips or noodles. And millions watch the popular YouTube show Hot Ones. On it, celebrities eat hotter and hotter chicken wings. These challenges often end with stomach-churning reactions. That raises a question. Can a pepper ever be dangerously hot?

Chili peppers get their heat from a chemical called capsaicin, which is found in the fruit’s fleshy tissue. Capsaicin tricks your brain into thinking you’re eating something scalding hot—even though you’re not (see How Capsaicin Makes Your Mouth Feel Like It’s On Fire). “When a person eats something with capsaicin, depending on their tolerance, they will experience a slight, moderate, or severe sensation of burning in their mouth,” says Paul Terry. He’s an epidemiologist who studies health and disease at the University of Tennessee. “They can sweat, and their skin can flush red.”  

Scientists believe pepper plants produce capsaicin to discourage certain creatures from eating their fruit. When mammals eat peppers, they grind the seeds with their teeth. The seeds are eventually pooped out—but because they were crushed, they’re unable to grow. The fiery taste of capsaicin is meant to prevent mammals from nibbling the plant, allowing the fruits to fall from the plant and sprout. The spice also slows the growth of harmful microbes like fungi, which can cause the fruit to rot. 

A chemical called capsaicin gives chili peppers their heat. It’s found in the fruit’s fleshy tissue. Capsaicin tricks your brain. You think you’re eating something fiery hot, but you’re not (see How Capsaicin Makes Your Mouth Feel Like It’s On Fire). Paul Terry is an epidemiologist. He studies health and disease at the University of Tennessee. “When a person eats something with capsaicin, depending on their tolerance, they will experience a slight, moderate, or severe sensation of burning in their mouth,” he says. “They can sweat, and their skin can flush red.”  

Why do pepper plants produce capsaicin? Scientists believe it’s to stop certain creatures from eating their fruit. When mammals eat peppers, they grind the seeds with their teeth. They later poop the seeds out. But the seeds have been crushed, so they’re less likely to grow. The fiery taste of capsaicin stops many mammals from eating the plant. Then the fruits can fall from the plant and sprout. The spice also slows the growth of harmful microbes like fungi. These microbes can rot the fruit. 

But this defense doesn’t ward off all animals. Birds don’t have receptors in their mouth that detect capsaicin. This allows them to swallow peppers without pain. Many humans aren’t discouraged, either. That’s because they enjoy the burn. 

When you eat something spicy, your brain releases a flood of feel-good chemicals like dopamine and endorphins, explains Currie. This is similar to the rush people get when riding a roller coaster. It combats what the brain perceives as painful heat and makes the experience more pleasant. “The first time I tried hot peppers, it knocked me to my knees,” says Currie. “I was sweating, I was snotting, I was drinking as much water as I could . . . But it made me feel good.”

But this defense doesn’t stop all animals. Receptors in the mouth detect capsaicin. But birds don’t have these receptors. So they can swallow peppers without pain. Many humans aren’t stopped either. That’s because they enjoy the burn. 

Your brain reacts when you eat something spicy. It releases a flood of feel-good chemicals like dopamine and endorphins, explains Currie. This is like the rush people get on a roller coaster. It combats the brain’s sensation of painful heat and makes the experience more pleasant. “The first time I tried hot peppers, it knocked me to my knees,” says Currie. “I was sweating, I was snotting, I was drinking as much water as I could . . . But it made me feel good.”

Currie has been growing chili peppers since the 1980s. In 2003, he founded a company that sells hot sauces and salsas. At his farm, he crossbreeds different species of pepper, hoping they’ll reproduce to create new varieties—each one hotter than the last. 

Whenever Currie creates a new super-spicy pepper, he sends it to a nearby lab. There, chemists analyze the fruit. As they work, the scientists wear gloves and goggles to avoid eye and skin irritation from the pepper’s oils. They use a special technique to precisely measure the amount of capsaicin in the new variety. The more capsaicin a pepper contains, the hotter it tastes. These measurements are then converted into Scoville heat units, or SHUs, which rank the spiciness of the peppers (see Off the Charts, left). 

This past October, Pepper X was named the world’s hottest pepper by Guinness World Records. It can be up to 1 million SHUs hotter than the previous record holder, the Carolina Reaper, which was also bred by Currie. While Currie is proud of his peppers’ record-breaking status, he also wants people to eat them responsibly.

Too much capsaicin at once can have serious side effects. “The burning sensation can be very painful,” says Terry. “And sometimes, it can be difficult to breathe, especially if capsaicin gets in the windpipe.” Other side effects can include stomach cramps, vomiting, and headaches. Thankfully, even in the case of eating extremely spicy peppers, “medical emergencies are uncommon,” says Terry. 

Still, Currie says that his superhot peppers aren’t meant for the average person to eat in large amounts—and they’re definitely not for kids or teens. “My peppers are not pleasant,” he warns. “If you have an undiagnosed allergy or heart condition, they can cause you to die, plain and simple.”

Concerns about young people getting hurt have even led to some ultra-spicy products being discontinued. “I’d suggest avoiding very spicy food until you’re older,” says Terry. “Start with small amounts and low heat levels, then increase slowly. Chew and swallow carefully to avoid getting capsaicin in your airways. Finally, never do a ‘challenge’ to prove anything to anybody.” Eating spicy food should be enjoyable, says Terry. If the heat is unbearable, it’s time to switch to something milder.

Currie has grown chili peppers since the 1980s. In 2003, he started a company that sells hot sauces and salsas. At his farm, he crossbreeds different species of pepper. He hopes they’ll reproduce to create new varieties. His goal is to make each one hotter than the last. 

Sometimes Currie creates a new super-spicy pepper. Then he sends it to a nearby lab. Chemists examine the fruit. As the scientists work, they wear gloves and goggles. That keeps the pepper’s oils from irritating their eyes and skin. They use a special method to measure the capsaicin in the new variety of pepper. It allows them to detect the exact amount. The more capsaicin in a pepper, the hotter it tastes. Then they convert these measurements into Scoville heat units, or SHUs. This ranks the spiciness of the peppers (see Off the Charts). 

Last October, Guinness World Records named Pepper X the world’s hottest pepper. The last record holder was the Carolina Reaper. It was also bred by Currie. But Pepper X can be up to 1 million SHUs hotter. Currie is proud of his record-breaking peppers. But he also wants people to eat them responsibly. 

People shouldn’t eat too much capsaicin at once. It can have serious side effects. “The burning sensation can be very painful,” says Terry. “And sometimes, it can be difficult to breathe, especially if capsaicin gets in the windpipe.” Other side effects include stomach cramps, vomiting, and headaches. Thankfully, even with extremely spicy peppers, “medical emergencies are uncommon,” says Terry. 

Still, Currie warns people about his superhot peppers. The average person shouldn’t eat them in large amounts. And they’re definitely not for kids or teens. “My peppers are not pleasant,” he warns. “If you have an undiagnosed allergy or heart condition, they can cause you to die, plain and simple.” 

So spicy food challenges can be dangerous. Some ultra-spicy products have been discontinued. That’s because of concerns about young people getting hurt. “I’d suggest avoiding very spicy food until you’re older,” says Terry. “Start with small amounts and low heat levels, then increase slowly. Chew and swallow carefully to avoid getting capsaicin in your airways. Finally, never do a ‘challenge’ to prove anything to anybody.” Eating spicy food should be an enjoyable and tasty experience, says Terry. If the heat is unbearable, switch to something milder.