Can my child eat spicy food? Expert explains what you should definitely watch out for

In principle, and therefore also for healthy children who are already eating solid food, it is very unlikely that spicy food in "physiological doses", i.e. normal amounts, will cause direct physical harm.

For example, capsaicin, the main ingredient that causes chili peppers to heat up, primarily affects the heat receptors in the mouth. There is no scientific evidence that moderate amounts of spicy food—even in this age group—cause permanent damage to the mouth, digestive tract, or anywhere else.

However, it all depends on the dosage: Spicy foods can temporarily cause discomfort, a burning sensation in the mouth, stomach pain, or even vomiting. Although individual tolerance varies greatly, you shouldn't subject your children to this, because the "chili pain" can be really painful.

As responsible parents, we should therefore be very careful . Even if it probably won't cause any lasting damage, we don't want to subject our child to unnecessary discomfort . We should therefore ensure that the food is pleasant for our child and not overly spicy. Very spicy foods are therefore taboo for a small child – at least in Western Europe. Asians probably see and live things somewhat differently.

Uwe Knop, born in 1972, is a qualified nutritionist, author, and speaker for lectures at professional associations, companies, and medical training courses.

From a scientific perspective, the purely rational answer is this: There are no clear standards or guidelines for "child-appropriately introducing children to spicy food." Some data suggest that early exposure to a wide variety of flavors, including mild spiciness, could likely increase acceptance later in life. Those who choose this approach should definitely consider doing so slowly and in very small amounts to avoid negative reactions from the child—see the previous answer for more information.

Waiting until the child wants to try it themselves is also a possible approach, based on their natural curiosity. However, responsible parents should not actively encourage the child to try spicy food. If they show interest, offer them a tiny sample of something very mildly spicy and then observe their reaction. Especially with young children, eating should always be a positive, enjoyable, and satisfying experience—satisfying hunger must be something enjoyable that the child enjoys. Painful burning from spicy foods has the exact opposite effect: The child becomes afraid of eating. And that must not happen. If they are eager to try something spicy on their own, parents should offer it in very small amounts and ensure that some milk (only fat-soluble drinks "quench" capsaicin!) is available to soothe the sensation if it is too spicy.

Personally, as a "big fan of spicy food," I make sure that our daughter never tastes any of my spicy meals, because that would be extremely painful. Chili in my food will come soon enough!

In principle, neither the taste nor the aroma of a food consumed by the mother is transferred directly to breast milk. Researchers have shown that odor- or flavor-active substances from garlic or coffee do pass into breast milk in very small amounts—sometimes as odor-active metabolites.

However, the extent to which hot-tasting substances from chili, ginger, or pepper are found in breast milk has been even less researched than for aromas and flavors. The data on this topic is therefore very limited. There is no clear scientific evidence to show that the intake of capsaicin via breast milk directly leads to an accelerated appetite for spicy foods later in life. Capsaicin may pass into breast milk in small amounts, and some studies suggest that this could change the taste of breast milk. However, it is unclear whether this has long-term effects on the child's taste preferences. In general, a study that provides conclusive evidence of this is methodologically impossible.

A study by the Technical University of Munich is interesting in this context: The research team investigated whether and, if so, which of the spicy substances chili, ginger or pepper from the food are transferred to breast milk: According to the scientists, spicy substances from ginger or chili as well as the secondary plant substance curcumin, which is also found in large quantities in curry, did not get into breast milk in this experiment.

However, the pungent substance in pepper, piperine, was detectable in very small amounts. The maximum concentrations observed were approximately 70 to 350 times below the taste perception threshold of an adult. According to the researchers, it therefore seems rather unlikely that the infants consciously perceive this "spiciness." Nevertheless, it is conceivable that regularly "peppered breast milk" could contribute to increasing the later tolerance threshold for such substances. So, everything remains vague – as always in nutritional research.

Adults should definitely try this – I definitely recommend it if you tolerate chili and other foods well. Spicy foods like garlic, chili, and ginger aren't just flavorful; they could also offer health benefits. This article explores the potential positive effects of these plants on the cardiovascular system, digestion, and the immune system.

This article is from the EXPERTS Circle – a network of selected experts with in-depth knowledge and many years of experience. The content is based on individual assessments and is aligned with the current state of science and practice.