Why humans love spicy food even when it burns: Science behind our obsession with chillies

Scientists say our love for spicy food comes from a thrill response, capsaicin triggers pain, but the brain enjoys the controlled discomfort and heat.

From South America to India to the Far East, chillies and spicy food are an integral part of the cuisine. But why do people enjoy exposing themselves to such food? Especially since the body’s response to such food normally indicates it is not comfortable with it.

Science explains why we love spicy food(Unsplash)

Why do we love spicy food?

As per an article in The Guardian, the thing that gives chillies their ‘hotness’ is a chemical called capsaicin, and this is an irritant that is meant to protect plant seeds from being eaten by birds. When we ingest this chemical, our body sends signals that it needs to get rid of this chemical.

This results in reactions like sweating, tearing, and a runny nose. However, despite all these encumbrances, a lot of people around the world, possibly a majority, can’t do without spicy food. So, why are we enjoying essentially punishing our bodies?

The answer, this article in The Guardian argues, is that when we eat spicy food, capsaicin binds to a receptor in the body called TRPV1. This tells the body that it needs to get rid of it. However, we, as humans, often enjoy activities that may seem dangerous or put us through an uncomfortable experience.

Whether it is bungee-jumping or watching horror movies, we enjoy a little discomfort as long as we know that we are in full control of the situation. Also, the more we eat spices, the more our receptors become used to them, so our body’s initial alarm is reduced, and we are more in control of our exposure.

So, spicy food is an experience of controlled thrill, and the world can’t get enough of it.

The Scoville Scale

A measure that has been devised by scientists to measure the sharpness or the hotness of a chilli. It is called the Scoville Scale. This is named after Wilbur Scoville, an American pharmacologist, who invented it in 1912 to measure the pungency of a chilli.

As per pepperhead.com, the ‘hottest’ chilli, according to the Scoville scale, is Pepper X, which has an average of 2.69 million Scoville units. However, the seeds of this chilli are not freely available, as it is too hot to handle for most humans.