A spicy food contest victory has ignited debate after a winner revealed he has an unusual genetic condition that allows him to eat hot peppers without pain.
Reddit user Appropriate_Fix2214 explained that he entered a hot pepper eating competition at a restaurant known for its wings.
“I have a weird genetic quirk where my body doesn’t register capsaicin normally,” the original poster (OP) shared.
Capsaicin is the active compound in chili peppers that causes a burning sensation. The OP’s condition means he can eat extremely spicy food without discomfort.
The competition offered free wing coupons as a prize, which user Appropriate_Fix2214 won handily. However, friends later accused him of “cheating,” arguing the win was unfair to others with typical spice tolerance.
“They said I should have let ‘normal’ people compete and get the wings,” the OP explained.
“Since many people asked, no, it doesn’t hurt throughout the whole body, nor on the way out.”
Reddit Reacts
The post has received more than 20,000 upvotes and 1,200 comments within two days online. Redditors were firmly on the side of the OP.
“Congrats. You are the Michael Phelps of chicken wings,” one supporter wrote.
“If he wasn’t cheating by having a genetic advantage when it comes to swimming, you weren’t cheating by having a genetic advantage when it comes to spicy food.”
A fellow pundit was full of praise: “This is by far one of the most innocent and low-stakes posts I have ever read here and I love it.”
Meanwhile, one individual had an idea to get the OP on a YouTube show: “We need to get you on ‘Hot Ones’.”
According to one study, the OP has an opportunity to protect themselves from early death in addition to winning contests.
In a 2023 study, researchers found that eating chili peppers regularly—at least four times per week—was linked with a 23 percent lower risk of dying of any cause compared with those who never or rarely ate chilis.
Participants in the study who often consumed chilis also had a 34 percent lower chance of dying of cardiovascular disease.
Some Like it Hot
For people not blessed with the ability to eat anything spicy, experts shared how to safely eat the Carolina Reaper—the world’s hottest chili pepper.
“Many spices can cause unpleasant effects if the consumer over indulges. Used as an ingredient in the right amount, then it is fine,” Steve Waters, the co-director of the South Devon Chilli Farm in the United Kingdom, told Newsweek in 2023 after a man was tested for brain damage after consuming a Carolina Reaper.
The OP mentioned in the Reddit thread that he did consume a Carolina Reaper once: “That one was like spicy-spicy, but not I’m-about-to-die spicy,” he replied.
‘A good laugh’
In a message to Newsweek, the amused Appropriate_Fix2214—who requested to be called “Chicken Wing God”—said his family is “super white” and not particularly adventurous when it comes to food.
“As I got older, I made friends with lots of people of different nationalities and tried lots of different cuisines, and people started noticing and commenting that I wasn’t having a typical, ‘White guy eats curry for the first time,’ reaction,” he said.
The OP added that their friends were mostly messing with them about the wings and, “had a good laugh,” about the viral post.
“Two of them were from the regions that are well-known for very spicy cuisines, so to lose to a white dude, especially since all of our girlfriends were watching, hurt their pride a bit, but we’ve since made up,” the OP wrote.
“Honestly, it was more of a joke post, they aren’t seriously mad at me for winning.”
Next, he wants to take his chili-eating powers on the road: “If people can share the best spots with me, let [me have] them!”
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