Can Sichuan Pepper Be Eaten Raw? Things to Note When Eating Sichuan Pepper Raw

Sichuan pepper is a very common seasoning in daily life, and it can be added to many dishes, so can Sichuan pepper be eaten raw? What side effects does eating it have?

1. Can Sichuan pepper be eaten raw?

Fresh Sichuan pepper can be eaten raw; it can be soaked in water, and it can also be added when making cold dishes, but the raw taste is rather numbing, and most people cannot accept it.

2. The effects of Sichuan pepper

Sichuan pepper can remove the gamy odor of various meats; promote saliva secretion and increase appetite; dilate blood vessels, thereby helping to lower blood pressure; drinking Sichuan pepper water can remove parasites; it has the effects of being aromatic and strengthening the stomach, warming the middle and dispelling cold, removing dampness and relieving pain, killing parasites and detoxifying, and relieving itching and removing fishy odors.

3. What happens if you eat too much Sichuan pepper?

1. Internal heat

Sichuan pepper is a warm-natured seasoning, and after consumption it increases heat in the body. Moreover, Sichuan pepper is generally used together with chili peppers, making its heating nature even stronger. Eating too much can lead to excessive internal heat, causing internal fire to flare up and bringing about symptoms of internal heat such as dry mouth and tongue, dry and scratchy throat, and mouth ulcers.

2. Poisoning

Sichuan pepper contains safrole, which is somewhat toxic, especially in raw green Sichuan pepper where the content is extremely high. Eating too much can lead to excessive toxin intake; in mild cases it damages liver function, and in severe cases it can cause human poisoning with symptoms such as bronchial bleeding, difficulty breathing, and fainting, endangering life.

3. Miscarriage

Sichuan pepper contains safrole and is toxic. After a pregnant woman eats it, the toxin can pass directly through the placenta and act on the fetus, causing fetal poisoning; Sichuan pepper also has a strong abortion-inducing effect, and large consumption by pregnant women can directly cause miscarriage.

4. Stopping milk production

In Chinese folk tradition, many women use Sichuan pepper water to stop milk production. After drinking Sichuan pepper water, milk production can be stopped within 2~3 days of weaning, and for women in the breastfeeding period just after giving birth, this is a side effect; stopping milk production cuts off the infant's food supply, and the baby needs a period of adjustment to accept other foods, making malnutrition easy to occur.

5. Inducing gene mutation

Seasonings such as cassia bark, star anise, fennel, and Sichuan pepper all have certain mutagenic effects, can induce some changes in the body's genes, may increase the risk of cancer, and can also directly alter genetic genes, resulting in deformity in offspring.