Don't try this at home... :)

[mojo]

People actually choosing to try the Hot Pepper challenge...

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[Sunny-side-up]

Madness, just think what they are doing to their gut and stomach chemistry :(

Hmm! just moved on to this new post by Carmody:
Sweet discovery in leafy greens holds key to gut health.
Can't get my link to work :(

== mod edit == Here you go. :)
http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?88891-Sweet-discovery-in-leafy-greens-holds-key-to-gut-health&p=1046600&viewfull=1#post1046600

[sheme]

Try child birth, I guess some people like to share stuff.

[ZooLife]

The things people will do........

? Instant regret ?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_DbX1JCwO8

[mojo]

... think I might try and purchase some Ghost Peppers, some of my macho friends brag how spicy they like their food...;)

[DeDukshyn]

Madness, just think what they are doing to their gut and stomach chemistry :(

Hmm! just moved on to this new post by Carmody:
Sweet discovery in leafy greens holds key to gut health.
Can't get my link to work :(


Actually, it does nothing to gut chemistry - nothing more than eating a sweet mini bell pepper. Due to an oddity in mammalian makeup, capsicum (the substance that causes the "heat"), binds to the nerve cells that register "heat" to us and force it to fire continuously, giving you the impression that you are being burned. Nothing much is really happening at all - reptiles and birds for example could eat a scorpion pepper and they won't notice anything different from a bell pepper. It is not hot to them at all. The effect only happens with mammals.

The greatest damage done from eating hot peppers is your own body's reaction to what it senses as being burned - inflammation mostly, which of course subsides without any real damage. I suppose having it come out the other end isn't pleasant either (burns there too!) ;)

So there is no real harm in eating deathly hot peppers, in fact a little capsicum in you is good for your circulatory system - it gets the blood moving. Not before bed though - the extra heat can make it hard to get to sleep (raises overall body temp).

I made some habanero chili the other day and didn't wear gloves while cutting the habaneros, the juice got all up under my fingernails. Even though I washed my hands good after cutting them, my fingertips under the nails was sore for a couple days. Habaneros are plenty hot enough for me - I've eaten them raw before, and there is really quite a variation from pepper to pepper - you might eat one and think "not so bad", then the next one gets you. ;) Their heat really smoothes out after you cook them for a while.


On you gut health note - not sure what was in the failed link, but if everyone just got 40 grams of a mix of soluble and insoluble fibres a day (even without otherwise changing their diet), that would fix up 85% of all people's gut issues. Plus it would make them less fat.
== mod edit == (Here is the link.)
http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?88891-Sweet-discovery-in-leafy-greens-holds-key-to-gut-health&p=1046600&viewfull=1#post1046600

[DeDukshyn]

The seven pod brown pepper is a good one for challenges, apparently the heat starts off a bit mild, then perpetually increases in intensity till you want to die ... :) These people are crazy ...

(coarse language)
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[ZooLife]

I can't remember the pepper but I remember an experience that loosely reminded me of the people trying this in the videos.

The worse part was the extreme discomfort and having that feeling that a moment could last forever!

It's like choosing to go to Hell, spending a seeming eternity there and returning. What a story to tell, eh?

There is a few lessons in there somewhere. ;)

[PurpleLama]

Cold beer is an instant but temporary relief for the hottest (ghost) peppers. The only problem is you must keep drinking to keep up the relief, and one pepper equals about a six pack.

[ZooLife]

Is this all an act?

Hope you enjoy it, I got a kick out of it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx1TVEvVf10

[kirolak]

I eat chilli with everything, & have become quite insensitive to the so-called heat; love it! :)

[Sunny-side-up]

Damaging or not, most of them doing what they are doing probably don't consider if it is damaging!
It's all total abuse and part of some human's madness in my books ;)

[DeDukshyn]

Damaging or not, most of them doing what they are doing probably don't consider if it is damaging!
It's all total abuse and part of some human's madness in my books ;)

Actually, almost all people into eating these peppers (anything hotter than a habanero) understands well that it's just a sensation created from the capsicum and no real damage is occurring ... so their not quite as "self abusive" as you might think, I will agree with nuts, though ;)

I will say though that kid in the video above -- he obviously didn't know - he genuinely looked afraid for his life ... lol.

[genevieve]

I have a fond memory of my friend gasping with sweat and tears rolling down his face after he'd made mean fun of me for not being able to eat the chili relleno I'd only barely touched with my tongue tip. :p

Peace Love Joy & Harmony,
genevieve

[DeDukshyn]

To give some perspective on the heat of some of these peppers, there is a scale called the Scoville heat scale, the UOM is "Scoville heat Units" or SHUs. It's crude but rather effective way of measuring the heat of chilies.

Your average Jalapeno pepper will give you about 3000 - 9000 SHUs - if you think Jalapenos are hot, not even close ... :)

Your average Habanero or Scotch Bonnet will get you up to about 350,000 SHUs, with a few habanero types netting up to 500,000 SHUs -- this is getting into hot territory!

Your average "Ghost" pepper (bhut jolokia) will run you about 600,000 - 1,000,000 SHUs -- this is getting into "deathly hot" territory!

Some 7 pod(pot) variations (such as brown), Carolina reaper, and scorpion peppers, and various crossbreeds can go from 1,000,000 to possibly over 2,000,000 SHUs - almost 1000x hotter than a mild jalapeno!


U.S. standard pepper spray is 2,000,000 to 5,000,000 SHUs. That must suck in your eyes! :)

[Chip]

I love peppers, the hotter the better. Ghosts are good but too much by themselves. Hot pepper relief can be found by eating watermelon afterwards (I have a lot of Hispanic friends).
Love to grill Jalapeños on the barbie!!!

[DeDukshyn]

I love peppers, the hotter the better. Ghosts are good but too much by themselves. Hot pepper relief can be found by eating watermelon afterwards (I have a lot of Hispanic friends).
Love to grill Jalapeños on the barbie!!!


One of my faves: halved and gutted jalapenos filled with a spot of cream cheese (maybe mixed with crab meat), and wrapped in bacon on the grill. (in the oven works too!) -- absolutely fantastic party hors d'oeuvre, and because the jalapenos are gutted there's not much heat to them so all can enjoy!

I have never tried a ghost pepper, but I am always keeping my eye out to see if any local grocery stores will carry them ... not a popular item way up north here, I guess. Dried habaneros are the hottest I have been able to get my hands on. I have a hard time refraining from eating a habanero whenever I buy them fresh, but I sometimes regret it, lol! I couldn't even imagine something 2-3X hotter (ghost pepper).

The heat can actually stimulate a natural high in your body; the intense pain causes your brain to release a bunch of chemicals designed to combat "shock", and can actually produce a euphoric effect after the "ordeal". This is likely why eating hot peppers has a bit of an addictive effect on some, others looking on wonder "why are you doing that again?"

I can also attest to PurpleLama's beer trick -- when I was making the habanero chili, I was also drinking beer. Took a good bite out of one of the habaneros while I was cooking; a few minutes later and I had two beers in me. It really does help, but only for a wee amount of time, so you just have to keep sipping :)

Ice cream is supposed to be pretty good, but of course you look like a pansy going for that after a pepper, over beer or watermelon. :)

[mojo]

For you pepper lovers out there. I heard rumors from my neighbor so wanted to ask do peppers cause burning when being eliminated through the final end of the digestive system? That was as polite as I could make it...;)

[DeDukshyn]

For you pepper lovers out there. I heard rumors from my neighbor so wanted to ask do peppers cause burning when being eliminated through the final end of the digestive system? That was as polite as I could make it...;)

Indeed it does. ;) It takes a fair bit of heat to get the effect, but yup it has happened to me. :)

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[conk]

The answer to the burn is sugar. Empty a packet or teaspoon of sugar on your tongue and get instant relief. That's why the watermelon works.

And I've never experienced heat at the south end of the alimentary canal. ;)

[PurpleLama]

I personally have found there seems to be a threshold for how hot you can sense a pepper, and the hottest ones just seem to last longer. Once you get past that hot habeñero level, the intensity seems to taper up only slightly as the duration is what gets you loaded if using the beer trick, as it were.

[mojo]

I still can't believe that people would do this...;)

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[mojo]

boyfriend & girlfriend challenge each other...

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[mojo]

the pepper challenge has grown...;)

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[mojo]

Is it me or do these ever get old? lol

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[Wookie]

the oil in a banana is heavier and relieves the burning well.

[Jull]

I don't understand why they do that?? Too risky and stupid!!!