Background: Although the ingestion of chilli has been associated with gastroesophageal reflux (GER) symptoms, there are no studies that have explored the effect of a chronic ingestion of different kinds of chilli with a variable content of capsaicin as a cause of GER.

Methods: The effect of chilli on esophageal 24-hour pH monitoring was studied in 12 healthy subjects without GER symptoms before and after of ingestion one of two kinds of chilli. Patients were randomized to ingest 3 g daily of cascabel chilli (Capsicum annum coraciforme containing 880 ppm of capsaicin) or ancho chilli (Capsicum annum grossum containing 488 ppm of capsaicin).

Results: After chilli ingestion, the Johnson De Meester Index (JDI) increased significantly [basal: 7 (1-14), after chilli: 13 (2-69), p = 0.0047]. When considering both kinds of chilli separately, the JDI varied, although nonsignificantly, with the ancho chilli [basal: 3 (1-8), after chilli: 10 (2-69), p = 0.11], and significantly with the cascabel chilli [basal: 10 (5-14), after chilli: 18 (2-44), p = 0.028].

Conclusion: Our results suggest that the chronic ingestion of chilli induces GER, and that the magnitude of the induced reflux seems to be related to the kind of chilli.