Is the stomach damaged?
Dear expert,
I am currently very worried and would be grateful for some advice. Yesterday I came home late and had nothing to eat at home. The only thing left in the cupboard was a lonely jar of "Pasta Sauce Arrabbiata" (400 ml). I ate the sauce straight from the jar, without anything else, and even though it tasted good, I soon realized it was incredibly spicy - it burned in my mouth and made my nose run. Despite this, I almost finished the whole jar, with only a tiny bit left.
I believe that the "spicy" or "irritating" ingredients are mainly cayenne pepper, paprika powder, and possibly citric acid (all three are listed as ingredients). This morning my stomach felt slightly irritated, but did not cause any serious problems.
Nevertheless, I have been worrying since today that consuming 400 ml of very spicy sauce (in a short period of time) could have damaged my stomach to the point that it could lead to serious illnesses in the long term (especially since I didn't eat anything else with it, basically on an empty stomach - my last meal was about three hours before). Unfortunately, I have become so entangled in this thought that I am wondering if I could have even triggered stomach cancer through this action.
I sincerely hope that these fears are greatly exaggerated and that the one-time massive intake of the "spicy substance" is not too dramatic.
I would greatly appreciate any information on this matter.
Best regards,
Daniel
