Why Do People Still Think Spicy Food Causes Typhoid?

I remember the first time I heard someone blame spicy food for typhoid fever. It was during a family dinner, and my aunt, halfway through a particularly fiery curry, casually warned me: “Careful, too much of this and you’ll get typhoid.” At the time, I nodded like everyone else, but inside, I wondered — could that really be true?

Turns out, it’s not. Not even close.

Typhoid fever is caused by a bacteria called Salmonella Typhi. It spreads through contaminated water and poor sanitation, not through eating spicy food or indulging in street snacks. Yet somehow, this myth refuses to die. The truth is far simpler: where clean water and proper hygiene are lacking, typhoid thrives.

If you want a clear breakdown of how it really spreads, there’s a good explainer on AskDocDoc here: https://askdocdoc.com/articles/712-what-are-the-causes-of-typhoid-fever

What I’ve found interesting lately is how social media helps these old myths stick around. For example, I recently saw this LinkedIn post that tackled the myth head-on: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/askdocdoc_myth-typhoid-is-caused-by-spicy-or-street-activity-7350517189138952193-hC7x? — it was refreshing to see people finally calling it out.

On Threads, there was another thoughtful post explaining how typhoid is often confused with simple food poisoning, which leads to unnecessary fear: https://www.threads.com/@askdocdoc/post/DMFwa6lIJqj

Pinterest, as usual, has some great infographics highlighting the real causes and symptoms of typhoid: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/928445279435966883

Instagram has also been pushing awareness campaigns, like this post encouraging clean water and better hygiene habits to prevent typhoid: https://www.instagram.com/p/DMFwa8yoIzm/

Clean water, sanitation, and hygiene — those are the actual defenses against typhoid, not cutting back on chili peppers. Facebook posts like this one are also trying to drive that message home through public health updates and community programs: https://www.facebook.com/122099392514743210/posts/122132884970743210

Still, there’s another side to this: on Twitter, there’s more concern now about antibiotic-resistant strains of typhoid spreading because people treat it incorrectly or too late. See this post for more on that: https://twitter.com/AskDoctors24/status/1944751411931021331

At the end of the day, it’s not about fear of food — it’s about awareness, hygiene, and proper healthcare. My aunt might still avoid spicy curries out of habit, but at least now I know that’s not the battle that matters.