Q: I love hot sauce, but I’m not sure if it’s good for me. What do you think?

A: One teaspoon of hot sauce has zero calories, 6 percent of your daily dose of vitamin C and 119 milligrams of sodium. This condiment helps spice up dishes.

Hot sauce gets its burn from a compound found in hot peppers known as capsaicin. The spiciness of hot sauce depends on the type of chili pepper and spices used. That’s why the heat (and capsaicin) will vary from brand to brand.

Although some folks believe spicy foods, including hot sauce, are stomach irritant, researchers believe that capsaicin can help decrease the risk of peptic ulcers, though too much can also irritate your stomach. The ideal amount still needs to be further studied. Studies have shown that it can slightly increase your metabolism several hours after eating it.

Is this too much?

Too much hot sauce can just be unpleasantly overpowering. It’s also extremely irritating to the eyes and it has sodium — if you’re adding tablespoons at a time, the milligrams can quickly add up.

There is a lot of misconception about the weight-loss effects of capsaicin. Although it will help slightly increase your metabolism after consuming, it will not help melt the calories magically away.

— McClatchy-Tribune News Service