How to people in countries that eat incredibly spicy foods get used to it?

Question

Is there any genetic part to this, or is it general conditioning. If it’s the latter, are there people that never get used to it?

In: Biology

Answer 1

On the most basic level, there is a physiological change in the way your capsaicin (which is the chemical that makes hot things hot.) receptors respond when they detect capsaicin. Continued exposure to spicy food actually causes the nerve associated with transmitting the “hot’ signal to degrade. There is no perminant damage though and the nerves will return it normal after extended periods of eating mild food. Not that mine ever will because I won’t ever stop eating spicy food.