Spicy food may burn your mouth, but your brain still craves it. Here's why

Spicy food sets your mouth on fire and speeds up your heartbeat, yet people worldwide love it. A gastroenterologist explains why discomfort turns into pleasure, reward and craving

 

Your mouth is on fire, your eyes water, sweat beads at the temples, and somehow you reach for another bite. Only chilli lovers can understand this bizarre craving. 

“Spicy food doesn’t actually ‘taste’ hot. It tricks your nervous system,” Dr Anukalp Prakash, Director of Gastroenterology at CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, explains what happens in your mouth and brain when you eat spicy food.

 

Capsaicin, the active compound in chilli, doesn’t activate taste buds at all. It binds to TRPV1 receptors, the tiny watchdogs in the body designed to detect heat and pain. When capsaicin locks onto them, the brain gets a message that sounds a lot like “fire detected!”

 

“Your brain, thinking you are in genuine distress, rushes in with endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, and sometimes a splash of dopamine. This mix of hormones brings relief, pleasure, even a little euphoria. It’s the biological equivalent of going on a roller coaster,” he says.

Did humans evolve to enjoy chilli or is it cultural conditioning?

Dr Prakash says that a widely supported idea is the antimicrobial hypothesis that chilli naturally inhibits the growth of bacteria and fungi. In warmer climates like that of India, Mexico and Thailand, spices likely served as an ancient food-safety mechanism.

 

Another angle is evolutionary teamwork. Birds, which help chilli plants by spreading seeds, don’t feel capsaicin’s burn at all. Mammals, which might destroy the seeds, do. Humans seem to sit in the middle: we feel the heat, but we don’t avoid it. Instead, over thousands of years, we embraced it.

 

The burn that deters predators didn’t deter us; it became part of our identity.

Why can some people handle spice while others cannot?

According to Dr Prakash, TRPV1, the same receptor that senses chilli heat, has genetic variants. Some people inherit versions that react explosively to spice, amplifying the burn. Others have a muted response and can demolish a plate of hot wings without flinching.

 

Genes also modulate broader pain tolerance, nerve sensitivity and how efficiently the brain produces endorphins.

Can spicy food trigger a ‘spice high’?

Dr Prakash explains that chilli sparks a stress response where your heart pumps faster, you may sweat and tears may appear. Then the brain realises there is no real danger and switches into reward mode. Endorphins bring relief. Dopamine adds a gentle hit of “that felt good, let’s do it again.”

 

This is why some people chase hotter and hotter foods. The reward system learns to associate the burn with a pleasant payoff. It is a controlled thrill, like the runner’s high without the run.

Can you train yourself to enjoy hotter food over time?

According to Dr Prakash, repeated exposure to capsaicin gradually desensitises TRPV1 receptors, so the same chilli feels milder after a while. The brain also becomes better at interpreting the discomfort, reducing the “danger” signal and amplifying the sense of mastery.

 

This is the same principle behind adjusting to cold water, strength training, or even learning to like black coffee. The more familiar the sensation, the less intimidating it becomes.

Is spicy food actually good for you?

Dr Prakash explains that spicy food does have some health effects. According to him, capsaicin can nudge your metabolism upwards through thermogenesis. It may reduce certain inflammatory markers and modestly support cardiovascular health by improving blood flow and lipid patterns. It can help gut motility and has antimicrobial effects.

 

He also reminds that spice can aggravate symptoms in some people with gastritis, GERD or IBS. For example, it may irritate an inflamed stomach lining, can trigger heartburn in some people with reflux and may worsen abdominal pain in diarrhoea-predominant IBS.

 

He stresses that your own body is the best guide. If chilli triggers symptoms for you, ease up. If it doesn’t, you don’t have to fear it.   

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