My wife can swear that her mouth is on fire after eating certain foods, but when I try the same exact food I often barely detect the heat she’s talking about.
I wasn’t always like this, it was an acquired taste. Sweet chilli used to be hot to me, now I dabble with habanero, naga, etc so I know something has changed physiologically…what was it?
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There are a couple of things at play.
1) In your mouth (and other places on your body) you have pain receptors. These receptors are quite sensitive to capsaicin and when they come into contact with capsaicin, they signal sensations of heat and pain to your brain – your mouth is not actually burning, but your brain interprets those signals as burning. With repeated exposure to capsaicin, the receptors simply become desensitized, so over time, we perceive less pain and heat from the same level of spiciness / amount of capsaicin.
2) Endorphins (or the Happy Hormone for ELI5)!! When you eat spicy food, your body releases this hormone which is a natural painkiller and mood enhancer. The endorphins can create a feeling of “spicy high”. Overtime your body becomes more efficient at releasing these hormones when you eat spicy food, which contributes to the enjoyment and the experience of less pain.
3) Increased tolerance – Simply put, regular consumption of spicy food leads to increased tolerance for capsaicin. As you eat more hot foods and higher levels of heat/spiciness, your taste buds and sensory perception adjusts. – Similar effect when you go to a country/place with a very different climate than what you are used to. Over time your body adapts to the heat/humidity/cold/altitude etc.
Capsaicin has not been found to cause any long-term damage to your body. The changes that happen in your body is due to functional changes in the pain receptors rather than any structural damage.
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