Hot Sauce Fun Fact - Too much of a good thing? Nah

Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Hot Sauce?

Literally everyone is obsessed with hot sauce, including the two baddest women around: Hillary Clinton and Beyoncé. And who can blame them? 

Considering the condiment is only a microscopic zero to five calories per teaspoon, even those who are on a strict diet don’t really have to think twice about piling it on their plate whenever they want to turn up the heat. But can a daily dose of hot sauce be bad for your health? 

“Like many things in nutrition (and life!), there are two sides to every coin,” says Lauren Antonucci, R.D.N., a board-certified sports dietitian, and owner/director of Nutrition Energy, a nutrition consulting practice in New York City.

So, all things considered, is it bad for you to put hot sauce on everything? The answer: Listen to your body. Experts agree that if it’s not adversely affecting you in any way, go ahead and have at it. “Eat as much as you can tolerate and enjoy,” says Ketan Shah, M.D., gastroenterologist at Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in Laguna Hills, Calif. “There is no significant downside to eating hot sauce or spicy foods regularly, as long as it is not resulting in significant side effects. If you notice adverse effects, such as heartburn, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or anorectal discomfort, then back down.” 

There’s no set standard as to how much hot sauce is too much. So, if you want to play it safe, your best bet is to use it within reason. “We don’t have definite safe amounts set, so it’s hard to set a limit,” says Tara Collingwood, R.D.N., team dietician for the Orlando Magic and nutrition consultant for UCF Athletics. “If you like it and don’t have any major side effects, enjoy it in moderation. Too much of anything is not good!” 

By Stella Katsipoutis, Women's Health