In a recent episode of his webseries The Daily Digest, YouTuber and gastroenterologist Dr. Sameer Islam addresses a question that he is frequently asked by patients, especially parents who have concerns about their children’s diet: can Flamin’ Hot Cheetos cause gut issues, or even a stomach ulcer?

There are plenty of stories out there about the popular snack making people sick, including the infamous incident in 2018 which resulted in rapper Lil Xan being hospitalized after he ate too many Cheetos and ended up appearing to vomit blood. There are also accounts of people claiming to have pooped blood too—but as Islam explains, this might not technically be the case.

“That red dye in that Hot Cheeto can make it very worrisome,” he says. “Whenever you eat food that’s red, it’ll come out as red. Same thing as beets as well. So if you’re eating Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, and you vomit, it’ll look like you’re vomiting blood, or if you have a bowel movement, it’ll look red as well.”

The spice in the food, however, can cause irritation in the stomach, resulting in inflammation, or gastritis, which is painful and uncomfortable. Other ingredients in Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, including citric acid and MSG, can have a similar effect. “It typically will not cause an ulcer, though,” says Islam. If you’re eating spicy foods, or foods with ingredients in them that can irritate your stomach, there’s no evidence that the Cheetos themselves will cause an ulcer.”

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