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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Your body doesn’t like pain (obviously). So if you are exposed to the same kind of pain over and over again, the body begins to adapt and close off pathways for the pain signal in that area to reach the brain. So regular exposure to spicy food can help stop it. There is a genetic component as well but your question seemed to me more about exposure rather than genetics.
Another example of your body adapting is people becoming accustomed to their environment. Like I live in the north east where it gets cold and snowy in the winter. I can go around in shorts and a t-shirt when it’s 40ish degrees out. Someone from Florida would think that’s insane. On the other hand if I was exposed to the Florida heat I’d be struggling while they’d be comfortable going about their business. Our brains are actively quieting uncomfortable sensations that we are exposed to regularly.
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