Spicy chips like Flamin' Hot Cheetos are a favorite among kids, but doctors warn the popular snack can have harmful effects.
Pediatricians are warning parents of the dangers of extremely spicy snacks such as Cheetos and other chips claiming these foods are sending numerous children to the emergency room each year, Medical Daily reported.
"We have a population who loves to eat the hot, spicy, not-real foods, and they come in [to the emergency room] with these real complaints," Dr. Martha Rivera of White Memorial Medical Center in Los Angeles told KABC-TV. "[The kids are being] set up for ulcerations, erosions and... peptic ulcer disease."
According to FOX News, after enduring weeks of on-and-off stomach pain, 12-year-old Andrew Medina told his mom it was time to see a doctor. He described the burning on his left side.
"Like if you have a bruise or something," Medina said. "It really hurts a lot."
Medina told reporters he eats up to 20 or 30 bags of spicy snacks each month. Doctors told the family the snacks were causing gastritis, an inflammation, erosion or irritation of the lining of the stomach. Symptoms include bloating, burning, vomiting and even hiccups.
Medina said he will stop eating spicy chips. Rivera's main concern is how the artificially flavored spicy chips can easily increase acidity in the delicate lining of the stomach.
"We have a population who loves to eat the hot spicy, not real foods, and they come in with these real complaints," Dr. Rivera said. "It burns when it goes down, it burns when it comes out."
Several school districts have started banning these kinds of snacks due to their lack of nutritional value. According to Medical Daily, 21 pieces of Flamin' Hot Cheetos contain 160 calories, 250 milligrams of sodium and 11 grams of fat.
"You set up for ulcerations, erosions and so you can set up to get peptic ulcer disease in these children," Rivera said.
