The internet has been fired up lately over the above YouTube video of two women tasting the Carolina Reaper, also known as the hottest pepper in the world.
The video is eventful, for sure: The women sputter. They spit. They scream. One even appears to have an asthma attack and is shown using an inhaler, then recovering with an oxygen tube. And eventually they laugh, because they arenโt the first to fail the โhottest pepper challenge.โ
After watching the video, youโre probably wondering if all this is safe. Hint: Itโs not.
Turns out that eating the worldโs hottest pepper โ or any ultra-hot pepper, for that matter โ can occasionally lead to health problems like shortness of breath, vomiting, seizures and, in a few extreme cases in children, death. If youโre an adult planning a pepper challenge, proceed with extreme caution.

Chili peppers contain a compound called capsaicin, which stimulates nerve endings that tell your brain itโs feeling heat or pain, Dr. Sanjeev Jain of the Columbia Asthma & Allergy Clinic told HuffPost. Capsaicin itself is unlikely to harm you, but that painful sensation can cause stress or anxiety-related symptoms like shortness of breath and vomiting, especially in people with asthma, he said.
โThereโs some concern that hot peppers may cause asthma attacks, but thatโs never been proven,โ Jain said. โItโs more likely a stress-induced reaction.โ
But itโs a dangerous reaction, indeed. Adults can suffer seizures after trying extremely spicy peppers, potentially due to dehydration from sweating. In one tragic incident, a child died from a seizure brought on by ingesting chili powder.
Deaths from chili peppers are mostly related to children, Dr. Harrison Lin, an ear, nose and throat specialist and an assistant professor at the University of California, Irvine, told HuffPost. But itโs clear that ultra-spicy peppers arenโt safe for anyone.
Most notably, they can rev up painful acid reflux in adults. One food writer documented his ordeal with the Carolina Reaper for Bon Appรฉtit, recalling a โsearing painโ from heartburn that left him barely able to get out of bed.
Yeah, no thanks.