If spicy is not a taste, but pain: Does it do actual damage?

Question

Spicy is perceived by the same receptors as the feelings hot and/or pain. But is this just some “trickery” of the receptors or does spicy food do actual damage? And if it doesn’t do actual damage: Why do people sometimes still throw up because of it (if it was too much)?

In: 212

Answer 1

Not really. Capsaicin tricks your nerves into thinking damage is happening. It doesn’t actually do much.

That said, long term exposure can start to reduce your sensitivity to heat. But like, then you can just eat hotter stuff without pain