Why do we eat spicy food?
Growing up in Mexico, spiciness was a natural part of every meal. In Germany, on the other hand, the cuisine was traditionally rather mild and restrained. But times are changing: German gastronomy is increasingly discovering international influences, and in many households chili, jalapeños, and hot sauces are finding their way into the kitchen.
This growing enthusiasm for heat raises an interesting question: Why are more and more people seeking out this special taste experience? Especially when chili has such a strange effect in the body? Of course, the excellent flavor of chilis is an important reason – they give dishes a unique depth and complexity. But there’s more to it: Many people crave the fiery sensation itself. Over time, they not only become more resistant to the heat but develop a real addiction – not just to the taste, but paradoxically also to the pain that the spiciness causes. This phenomenon makes our relationship with spicy food so fascinating.
I remember an anecdote my parents told me about my first time with chili. My initial reaction was to grimace in surprise, gasp for air through my mouth, and wave my hands wildly. But instead of rejecting the spicy food, I exclaimed excitedly: “It’s hot, it’s hot…” and then surprisingly demanded: “…More!” Despite the initial burning sensation, I wanted another taste right away.
In another article, we examined the effects of chili in the body and found that eating chili causes pain. You can read about it in the post “What happens in the body when consuming chili?” But today we ask: Why would a small child who can barely speak want to feel more pain? Does pleasure play a role in our sensations? Why do we enjoy something so much that our brain says hurts?
The answer lies in a social learning process. The brain says “Danger!”, but we know exactly that it won’t harm us. I saw my parents eating chili and wanted to try it because of that. My subconscious knew they wouldn’t give me anything harmful. So without any real danger, we’re left with an intense sensation and an experience that also alters our consciousness in a certain way.
Endorphins, the feel-good hormones
In fact, when we eat spicy food, we enter a state where our perception of reality changes – similar to an opiate.
Capsaicin, the active ingredient in chilis, exerts its effects in the body mainly in the brain. The chili effect in the body triggers a natural response similar to pain-relieving substances, but in such small doses that we hardly notice it consciously. This effect is never harmful to our body – provided, of course, we enjoy everything in moderation and don’t overdo it to spare our stomach.
When we eat spicy food, the brain’s response to the pain is to release endorphins to neutralize it once the body has been warned of the danger. This blockade creates a feeling of pleasure that can also lead to a kind of addiction; people say heat is fought with more heat. That’s not entirely accurate, but it has a certain logic when we consider that the more we expose ourselves to capsaicin, the more endorphins the brain releases. In the end, a kind of tolerance to the sensation of heat develops. The more often we experience the chili effect in the body, the more we get used to it and enjoy the released feel-good hormones.
So if we already knew that the chili effect in the body has numerous positive health impacts – from promoting circulation to boosting the immune system – we find another benefit that this wonderful plant offers us here: It gives us pleasure while adding special flavor to our food and stimulating our senses. Yes, it might make us tear up a bit or blow our nose, but those are small things compared to all the good that chili brings us.
