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Can the Hottest Peppers In the World Kill You?
Hugh Pickens writes "Katharine Gammon writes that last week, the Kismot Indian restaurant in Edinburgh, Scotland, held a competition to eat the extra-hot Kismot Killer curry and several ambulances were called after some of the competitive eaters were left writhing on the floor in agony, vomiting and fainting. Paul Bosland, professor of horticulture at New Mexico State University and director of the Chile Pepper Institute, says that chili peppers can indeed cause death — but most people's bodies would falter long before they reached that point. 'Theoretically, one could eat enough really hot chiles to kill you,' says Bosland adding that a research study in 1980 calculated that three pounds of the hottest peppers in the world — something like the Bhut Jolokia — eaten all at once could kill a 150-pound person. Chili peppers cause the eater's insides to rev up, activating the sympathetic nervous system — which helps control most of the body's internal organs — to expend more energy, so the body burns more calories when the same food is eaten with chili peppers. But tissue inflammation could explain why the contestants in the Killer Curry contest said they felt like chainsaws were ripping through their insides. As for the contest, restaurant owner Abdul Ali admitted the fiery dish may have been too spicy after the Scottish Ambulance Service warned him to review his event. 'I think we'll tone it down, but we'll definitely do it next year.'"
It may take more than 3 pounds, but if you drink enough water fast enough you get water toxicity.
In other words, this is "not news."
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
I know if I eat enough scotch bonnets I start to get a sort of tingling sensation in my fingers. Makes sense that if you ramp it up enough it would kill someone.
Thats probably 600 chillis. The article author must be a fat bastard to fit that much in his stomach at once.
What authority do they have to issue warnings?
Were the participants forced to eat? Pictures or it didn't happen.
According to it's MSDS, capsaicin has an LD50 (lethal dose to 50% of pop'n) of 47.2 mg/kg when taken orally. So, for a 70kg person, 3.2 grams of pure capsaicin should be lethal about 50% of the time... This isn't anything new, the data has been published for a long time.
You don't want to drink that candle.
I am obviously missing something here...
a) there are _lots_ of things you can eat to kill yourself.
b) what is the point of this "research"?
839*929
Didn't he have a spirit vision after eating chili sauce made especially for his cast-iron palate?
eating them is only half the battle
Well I know that they may induce hallucinations of Johnny Cash telling you to find your soul mate.
Slowly saps your will to live.
-
Or leaves horrible scars that you can pick at later.
No brain, no pain.
"Silly china-man, you can make it too spicy for me!"
Given a sufficient quantity dropped on you or were fired at you at extreme velocity.
Sadly the chili pepper gun is a long way from becoming useful enough for pithy action movie hero comments "What's th' matter? Heartburn?"
crazy dynamite monkey
I for one, welcome our new hot pepper overlords in their attempt to take over the planet.
I understand the "look how tough I am, I can eat this spicy stuff" mentality to some extent, but who seriously takes it to the extreme of downing things that eat holes in your stomach and cause you to be hospitalized?
I am obviously missing something here...
a) there are _lots_ of things you can eat to kill yourself.
b) what is the point of this "research"?
A lot of people seem to believe that anything that is safe in moderate quantities should also be harmless in huge quantities. (Make your own obesity joke here.) They then proceed to consume (or goad others into consuming) said huge quantities.
Hilarity, for the rest of us, ensues.
Where can I make a reservation!!!
ooooohhhh momma!!!
Before anything else - this is my favourite local Indian Restaurant. Been eating there for a few years now and will continue to do so.
Secondly, 'several ambulances'? People 'writhing on the floor, fainting and vomiting'? Here's what actually happened:
Restaurant holds a curry-eating competition. Top of the list in the later rounds is the 'Kismot Killer', a curry that recently replaced a naga-based one, as too many people were finishing it easily. Anyway, if you order a killer, the restaurant staff will do everything in their power to put you off - there's warnings all over the place and you have to sign a disclaimer before eating it. If you *really* insist on eating the damn thing, you can't say you weren't warned. But anyway. So two people get to the later stages (one American, FWIW) and one of them has the bright idea of vomiting immediately after eating so as to avoid the after-effects. The other continues eating *despite being in pain and feeling faint*. I mean, seriously? So despite having the red cross present (it was a charity event), they got an ambulance to take these two to hospital for safety. The hospital gave them strong anti-indigestion medication and kicked them out.
Short version - idiots did idiotic things, complained that they shouldn't have to have any personal responsibility when the inevitable happened.
-Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience-
but it may not happen quickly...
Koreans have (I read somewhere) the highest rate of stomach cancer in the world. While a culture of smoking and copious amounts of the national drink Soju certainly don't help, I think the blame can be safely laid on their extremely spicy cuisine. The national dish, "Kimchee" is basically fermented hot peppers and garlic with some lettuce added for texture. After being left underground in earthen jars for the entire winter, it is consumed with every meal and has even found it's way into western foods (Kimchee burgers).
The acidic content of Kimchee is quite high, urban legend has it capable of eating its way through the a coke can. Not a legend is the fact that there are no wooden bowls in Korean plateware, just stainless steel or ceramics. Likewise many Korean utensils are stainless steel, even chopsticks. Also, I think it's banned as cargo on numerous airlines, its corrosive properties plus being packed in a pressurized fermenting jar (with a pungent odor) gives new meaning to the term "suitcase bomb".
The incidence of stomach cancer has brought about documentaries and other public shows that discuss it and what to do about it. Fortunately if caught early stomach cancer is highly survivable, the stomach regrows readily (I guess that's why it can so easily expand). A relative of mine had an operation and he's fine now. Since there are so many surgeries done for stomach cancer if you should ever get that diagnosis, Korea's probably the best place to get it taken care of.
While the method of dying described sounds nice n all, I thought the actual danger was from asphyxiation when digesting Bhut Jolokia ( I grow those suckers myself); when strong enough chili has been digested it will often cause uncontrollable hiccups (capsacin will irritate the thingiemagic that does your breathing, causing it to cramp, which I've been told, could be enough to kill you).
The lethal dose is whats required to overload your system and die from poison (sort of like drinking too much water?) and the lack of oxygen is akin to trying to breath water or have I've just had me leg pulled?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qD-0fEvJv2c
Dunno about you, but I would rather shoot myself than listen to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Is it wrong to be laughing uncontrollably at these asshats?
We show geeks how to get their dream girl at EyesOfOdessa.com
I'd hazard a guess that the preparation method is more dangerous than the raw chilli. Capsaicin has never been shown (to my knowledge) to be corrosive or carcinogenic, but lots of fermented products are well known to be both.
Of course it's possible that large amounts of substances stimulating pain receptors could have knock on effects that feed into stress, and can therefore increase stomach acid production etc, but that's very different to positing that korean tableware proves chilli is corrosive.
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_sto_can_dea-health-stomach-cancer-deaths
I've never understood the attraction of eating chillies. It hurts (or is that just me?) so whats pleasant about it? Or is it just macho i-can-eat-more-than-you BS? Is it the same sort of people who do it who visit S&M dungeons because they like the pain?
For those of you who have lived in Texas, you know how true this is. They actually have a Chili cook-off about the time the rodeo comes to town. It takes up a major portion of the parking lot at the Astrodome.The notes are from an inexperienced chili taster named Frank, who was visiting Texas from the East Coast:
"Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili cook-off. The original person called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table asking directions to the Budweiser truck, when the call came in. I was assured by the other two judges (Native Texans) that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy and, besides, They told me I could have free beer during the tasting, So I accepted."Here are the scorecards from the event:
Chili # 1 Mike's Maniac Mobster Monster Chili
Judge # 1-- A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.
Judge # 2-- Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild
Judge # 3-- (Frank) Holy shit, what the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway. Took me
two beers to put the flames out. I hope that's the worst one. These Texans are crazy.
Chili # 2 Arthur's Afterburner Chili
Judge # 1 -- Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang.
Judge # 2 -- Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.
Judge # 3 -- Keep this out of the reach of children. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave
off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when they saw
the look on my face.
Chili # 3 Fred's Famous Burn Down the Barn Chili
Judge # 1 -- Excellent firehouse chili. Great kick. Needs more beans.
Judge # 2 -- A bean-less chili, a bit salty, good use of peppers
Judge # 3 -- Call the EPA. I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows
the routine by now. Get me more beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back, now my backbone
is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting shit-faced from all of the beer.
Chili # 4 Bubba's Black Magic
Judge # 1 -- Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.
Judge # 2 -- Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chili.
Judge # 3 -- I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds?
Sally, the barmaid, was standing behind me with fresh refills. That 300-lb.bitch is starting to look HOT -- just
like this nuclear waste I'm eating. Is chili an aphrodisiac?
Chili # 5 Linda's Legal Lip Remover
Judge # 1 -- Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground, adding considerable kick. Very impressive.
Judge # 2 -- Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit the cayenne peppers make a strong statement.
Judge # 3 -- My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted and four
people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili had
given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher.
I wonder if I'm burning my lips off. It really pisses me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming.
Screw those rednecks.
Chili # 6 Vera's Very Vegetarian Variety
Judge # 1 -- Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of spices and peppers.
Judge # 2 -- The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and garlic. Superb.
Judge # 3 -- My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulfuric flames. I shit on myself when I farted and I'm
worried it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that slut Sally. She
must be kinkier than I thought. Can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my ass with a snow cone.
Chili # 7 Susan's Screaming Sensation Chili
Judge # 1 -- A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers
. Judge # 2 -- Ho hum, t
Capsaicin binds to and, in high enough doses, destroys neurons that are responsible for signaling molecules involved in wound healing. If you took a high enough dose that it depleted those neurons in a certain part of your body, especially your insides, it would be similar to having leprosy. Tiny cuts would get infected, and spread, and eventually you would have mass tissue death.
My lab used to study that before I started working here. Of course, we are talking super high doses, basically pure capsaicin. Peppers just aren't going to do it by themselves. As noted above, they have other health benefits, so no-one should really worry about toxicity, as the heat stops most people long before they could ever get to that point.
some of the competitive eaters were left writhing on the floor in agony, vomiting and fainting.
Meanwhile at a seemingly unrelated event for ball-peen-hammer-head-bangers a few blocks away, some were left writhing on the floor in agony, vomiting and fainting after pummeling their skullcaps with their 16 pound hammers.
Aren't their Darwin awards for this type of behavior?
Sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel is the headlight of an oncoming train.
I vaguely recall having seen an article somewhere (heh, possibly on slashdot) where experiments on mice showed them to be at risk of death, if being exposed to pepper spray, insofar as the mice had been injected with cocain I believe. The point seemed to be, about how the combination could be lethal, explaining some deaths in the state of California USA.
Scoville scale is not linear, instead use 0.36 mg capsaicin per gram of habanero, or 36 grams per kilogram. Who's going to eat a couple pounds of those things?
I am a mexican from the west central where we eat very hot peppers all of our lives. For us is fine but once in a while we get a tourist that is feeling brave. I haven't seen anybody faint yet, but I have seen people scream in pain. I also have a feeling that the hot spice was just town in for hotness effect when it has to be tastefully done. I hate it when my gringo friends try to make me salsas they just make it hot without flavour. A good spicy salsa is hot but also addictive that you want to continue eating it.
But tissue inflammation could explain why the contestants in the Killer Curry contest said they felt like chainsaws were ripping through their insides.
Just wait until they take a crap the next day. I know when I eat really spicy food (habanero and hotter) it feels like I am crapping a tactical nuke that is going off in my ass.
Time to offend someone
I expected to see the comments flooded with Guatemalan Insanity Pepper references. What gives?
Chili peppers cause the eater's insides to rev up, activating the sympathetic nervous system â" which helps control most of the body's internal organs â" to expend more energy, so the body burns more calories when the same food is eaten with chili peppers.
To me, this was the most interesting part of the article. If chili peppers cause an increase in the rate of burning calories, it seems like they'd be quite useful to dieters. For those who don't have a taste for spicy foods, might capsules full of chili extract or chili powder have a similar effect on the sympathetic nervous system as full-fledged chili dishes or raw peppers? I'd be interested to see if there were any studies on this.
at what point do people say, "hey, this isn't an interesting and enjoyable dining experience. This is pure masochism."?
I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
If you launched a pepper in space and set it orbiting the earth- it would travel at a fast enough speed. That it could pass right through the skull of an astronaut.
So yes, peppers can kill you.
"That's the way to do it" - Punch
Well I posted this because of some things I had heard and because I was bored. (My anecdote about my relative though is true!)
Anyway, learned a lot about the making of Kimchee, the cancer causing properties (or not) of spices, the ability of acids to corrode aluminum and the inside coating of coke cans.
Hope I didn't waste too much of your time!
I'd just like to say that I have eaten at Kismot many times (it's right next door to my local), and they do have a warning for their ultra hot curry (you have to sign a disclaimer to even try it). So really, there's no excuse. I do know two people who have managed it though.
By the way, it's a lovely restaurant, the staff are really friendly (Akbar always asks after my sister), and the food is great. Just... avoid the killer ;)
While most would survive up to 3 pounds, I believe a considerable percentage of the population would die after much less.
The defensive reaction can easily lead to major swelling of any affected areas for quite a number of people. This would include throat and lead to suffocation.
45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
This story brought to mind something from The Thirteen Gun Salute from the Aubrey Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian:
Apparently, this was at one time a common method of execution in the Malaysian states...
'Abdul is gruesomely executed in a bizarre sanctioned execution via "peppering," in which a bag of pepper is placed over the head (hands are also bound). The executioners, often the victim's family, then beat the bag, resulting in inhalation of the pepper and painful asphyxiation. '
(name withheld by request)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P1M5bMbHNU&NR=1
That burning feeling? That's your body telling you not to eat that.
You eating that anyway? Bannable offence.
Fight hunger. Filet a politician and send him to a 3rd world country of your choice.
It has been well-known forever that capsaicin (the active component of peppers) can be used as a poison.
Here's some more background information straight out of the age of geocities (joking aside - the side is very good, the colloquial style makes the information easy to digest and as far as I can tell the doctor knows what he is writing about)
The wife makes menudo, but somewhere in cooking he pulls some out and spices it to his liking. Seriously, don't even get close to the bowl. It's hotter than any Indian food I've had.
"Half of the 20 people who took part in the challenge dropped out after witnessing the first diners vomiting, collapsing, sweating and panting."
WHO THE HELL ARE THESE OTHER TEN PEOPLE?
Just as long as he doesn't sing "Ring of Fire".
This is not the sig you're looking for.
... as another recent chili thread here pointed out. (the one claiming that chilis are harmless and only our tastebuds make us believe they're tasting hot)
3 pounds of chillies is the way I want to go... as long as it takes less than 6 hrs then I wont have to go to the loo.Seriously though, you would die of passing out and vomiting way before the 3 pound mark.
Maybe they could make a non-spicy chillie powder (coated with soluble stuff) that could aid slimming - for real... as long as the fatty's don't eat 3 pounds of it!
Where does the Merciless Pepper of Quetzalacatenango fot on that scale?
If it takes THREE POUNDS of naga jolokia to potentially kill someone MY small size, these people had to have been eating something in the neighborhood of 15-20 pounds of food in one sitting. Even eating three pounds of food is a very rough task for any regular human in one sitting.
Something else killed these people, I'd wager, it wasn't the peppers, unless they were seriously starved people calorie-wise in the first place.
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
It's not "News for Nerds", and it sure as fuck doesn't matter to anyone except a tiny number of competitive eaters about which there is no reason to give a shit.
"This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
Hmm... you say there is no such thing as "Indian food," then you go on to use that exact phrase two more times.
That that is is that that that that is not is not.
fwiw, if you line your mouth with bicarb or some other pH increasing compound, it will significantly reduce the amount of capsaicin available to inflame the tissues of your gums, tongue, and cheeks. It works like a charm, and I've got the chili eating contest winner t-shirts to prove it. i've successfully downed stunning amounts of "impossibly hot" buffalo wings with this trick, winning hundreds of dollars from otherwise perfectly intelligent college students. It's always the chem majors that twig to me first...
a cup of water is about 1 pound.
More like half a pound.
A cup is about 1/4 liter, which is about 1/4 kilogram in mass.
Assuming normal Earth sea-level gravity, that's about 1/2 of a pound.
"An ounce is and ounce and a pint is a pound" is a good way to remember the weight of water.
More precisely, a cup is 0.2366 liters, or about 0.52 pounds. But hey, this is pretty precise for a rule of thumb.
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.