Can chili peppers help gastritis?

First of all, isn't it interesting that there is so much science being done that there is a journal called Helicobacter devoted to research on the bacteria Helicobacter pylorii? Most of you will recognize it as the pathogen associated with gastric ulcers and gastritis (stomach inflammation). A study published there investigated the effect of capsaicin (the chemical that makes chilies hot) on the stomach lining when there is inflammation due to Helicobacter infection.

"Capsaicin, the main pungent ingredient of hot red and chili pepper, has been considered as not only a cytoprotective [cell protector] but also a detrimental agent to the gastric mucosa. However, the effect and mechanism of capsaicin that modulate the induction of pro-inflammatory cytokine in Helicobacter pylori-infected epithelial cells have not been investigated previously."

The authors exposed gastric cells with various concentrations of capsaicin. Their data showed that even a very low dose of capsaicin reduced inflammation by inhibiting H. pylori-induced IL-8 and NF-κB inflammatory pathways, leading to this conclusion:

"Nontoxic dose of capsaicin inhibited H. pylori-induced IL-8 production by gastric epithelial cells through the modulation of IκB-, NF-κB-, and IL-8 pathways. We conclude that capsaicin can be proposed as a potential anti-inflammatory drug by inhibition of the production of IL-8 in H. pylori-infected gastric epithelium."

This doesn't mean that you don't need to fully get rid of the Helicobacter infection. We can diagnose it much more accurately than in the past with advanced DNA amplification technology. But a little warmth in your food might help reduce the inflammation meanwhile.