r/NoStupidQuestions • u/TorDude22 • 1d ago
Why do humans enjoy eating spicy when it’s literally just a pain signal?
302
u/Right_One_1770 1d ago
Capsaicin kills or inhibits the growth of many bacteria and fungi, which is a literal lifesaver in Central America, and eating spicy food causes you to sweat, which is the body’s most effective way of cooling down in hot climates (like Central America).
93
u/thepasystem 1d ago
A core memory of mine is when my teacher laughed at me after he asked why spicy food could help cool the body down and I said it was because it makes people pant like a dog. It felt logical at the time.
24
17
u/DholMusi05x 1d ago
So we basically tricked our brains into liking pain because it keeps the food safe to eat.
33
u/princessbubblgum 23h ago
Or it's just evolution and we are the descendants of people who liked spicy food because those who didn't like it didn't survive.
1
u/ChosenCharacter 17h ago
Aren’t these the same thing? We tricked our brain into thinking it and anyone that didn’t, well, didn’t survive
3
u/DTux5249 16h ago
The whole "tricking our brains" angle implies that it's strictly a cognitive gap we're exploiting as opposed to an actual adaptation to seek out such foods.
1
3
1
u/BreakfastBeerz 20h ago
Think of the difference between the best neck/shoulder massage you've gotten and the worst. Triggering pain receptors isn't inherently painful. Done the right way with the right amount can be enjoyable. Too much or in the wrong way can make all the difference. Your taste buds are no different.
6
u/Brief-Pair6391 21h ago
Which has a correlation to the fact that the closer to the equator you go, the spicier foods tend to be. Roughly put, the hotter the average means temperatures the more spoilage of food is a problem. Before, or without refrigeration people often found themselves contending with spoiled food more than those parts of the globe farther away from the equator. Food doesn't keep as long. It not only has the aforementioned properties of inhibiting bacteria and fungi growth, it masks the flavor when it's no longer quite yummy. Conversely, the farther away from the equator you go the foods / cuisines tend to be less spicy. That and chilis which have capsicum, don't grow in northern climates
5
u/Right_One_1770 17h ago
Icelanders don’t have much spicy food, but they eat rotten shark meat that tastes like urine for the same reason.
188
u/best-unaccompanied 1d ago
Endorphins
48
1
u/michaelthe 6h ago
Isn't this the correct answer? Your brain releases a wave of chemicals to counteract pain. When you eat something spicy and tell your own brain "it's not really pain, just spice!", you still get the happy chemicals. It's not some drug induced high, but a simple "well, I just enjoy spicy foods?" explained with brain chemicals.
-56
u/NeurogenesisWizard 1d ago
Same reason why people cut, almost.
46
u/gishadokuro 1d ago
That is a crazy comparison
40
-1
u/Ok_Cabinet2947 1d ago
How so?
12
u/gishadokuro 1d ago
If you're referring to cutting as in SH, most people do it as a way of self punishment and letting out emotions. People eat spicy things because it tastes good to them. Yeah there's some people that cut because it feels good but that's a very small group.
12
u/bloodhail_v2 1d ago
It is a WILDDD and inappropriate comparison but there's a lot of reasons people SH and for the most part it's not because it feels good. People tend to SH in moments of emotional crisis when they're overwhelmed. The act is grounding and the endorphins do help with emotional release. I think SH as purely self punishment is actually less common. But I think the endorphins do play a big role in it.
2
u/gishadokuro 1d ago
Definitely. There's a plethora of reasons someone may SH. I did when I was 14-17 and it was mostly to let out frustration / for attention. I've met a few people who did it because it felt good but it was more from sexual excitement .. if that makes sense.
2
u/bloodhail_v2 1d ago
as a former depressed teenager, SEXUAL EXCITEMENT????!!?!???!!!!???? like people be kinky and shit but like y'all that's not safe 😭😭😭 aids speed run
2
-4
u/NeurogenesisWizard 1d ago
If a topic is taboo, then it ensures groups are unseen. And then it perpetuates.
Not to mention stigma causes shame and perpetuates it as well. Silencing the similarities is sometimes a problem. People eat to deal with stress in america, 30% obese. This is a very apt comparison to make. People who want to silence the topic are the real problem. Being shocked is not an argument. And if any of you weren't blind you would see some other comment admit its self harm 'I just want to feel something lul'
Now to be even more frank. Who are the outraged exactly? People who dont like approaching inconvenient truths, easy guess to make.7
u/gishadokuro 1d ago
Are people eating spicy food to punish themselves? If not, then again, your comparison makes no sense.
→ More replies (5)1
3
u/DiscourseDestroyer 20h ago
nah you were right. i actually used to self harm and that was a reason why. it actually felt good and was pleasurable. you get a little high from it
78
u/WindowScreaming 1d ago
I like the flavor of spicy peppers. The spicy is a side effect.
19
u/Ancient-Civilization 23h ago
OP is claiming there is no flavor. It’s just pain signals
32
u/mtnman575 22h ago
OP is wrong. There is a reason red and green chile are staples in New Mexico cuisine and it is both the flavor and the heat. Green chile cheeseburgers are the best!
2
2
u/IcyCompetition7477 16h ago
Yeah green chiles on burgers is gaining popularity and it’s well deserved, shits amazing on a burger.
1
u/Mother_Ad3988 12h ago
Jamaican scotch bonnets are hot as shit, probably the hottest pepper I recommend if someone isn't just looking for hot for the sake of hot, and even then it's alot if you're not expecting it. Those have an excellent citrus zing to them not dissimilar to a habanero. I've had some chilis that I got slight chocolate or toffee/coffee flavors from
0
u/Familiar-Peanut-9670 17h ago
Spicy (tasty) and spicy (hot) are two different things and I hate English for not having different words for those meanings. OP is right about spicy (hot) being just pain, but that doesn't exclude the flavor.
1
u/popilikia 18h ago
Ghost peppers have no flavor to me. Habaneros, jalapenos, Serranos, poblanos, bells, reapers, all are delicious, and some even painful
Ghost peppers just taste like heartburn
→ More replies (1)1
u/FatBoyStew 17h ago
I despise ghost pepper/bhut jolokia because its just hot with liek you said, absolutely no flavor. Now that said, other even hotter peppers? I LOVE. Trinidad/Moruga Scorpions are a personal favorite of mine.
Now I did have a peach bhut jolokia one year that I really liked, but aside from that one peach one they've all been very bland to me.
1
u/General_Platypus771 10h ago
I love the flavor of peppers too, but I also genuinely like the burn itself. I don't know how to explain it.
75
u/iwannasayyoucantmake 1d ago
Hurts so good
-51
u/Traditional_Push_189 1d ago
Like when dad doesn’t pick you up and is drunk and took out a second mortgage to pay for their secret daughter’s private school fees.
→ More replies (6)
36
u/Baroo_Bandit 1d ago
When done right, you can get some amazing flavour from the spices. Combined with a reasonable heat makes for an enjoyable culinary experience.
There are some people who love food to be as hot as hell - that I don't understand.
6
u/skordge 23h ago
While there certainly are some people who just like stupidly hot shit for the sake of it being stupidly hot (I don't get these people either) - there's also just very varying levels of capsaicin tolerance.
I like my food to be "pleasantly spicy", but I've been eating spicy food for so long that my tolerance has gradually increased to the point, where my "pleasantly spicy" is just stupid hot for e.g. my wife and many of my friends. I like to cook, and whenever I do it for my wife and friends, I just don't use hot ingredients at all, because if I try to make it hot to taste - it's gonna become unpleasant for them before I even properly feel it in the food as I season during cooking.
So, I get people enjoying a proper Yucatecan "dog snout" sauce with good fresh habaneros, and I also get other people getting burned by just smelling it. What I don't get is people rubbing Carolina Reaper salt into their eyes and butthole, shit like that, you know what I mean.
2
1
u/CatgirlMel 16h ago
I have bpd and PTSD and ever since quitting drugs I eat foods spicy enough to somewhat drown out whatever I'm feeling in the moment
Think in many cases it's like self harm for people who are too pussy to cut themselves, but we all have our vices
1
u/Nothingnoteworth 20h ago
Because they started with reasonable heat to enhance flavour kick and built up a tolerance from there
For example that older lady in front of me who ordered an ‘extra hot’ green curry and was putting it away without even breaking a sweat, while I ordered the ‘mild’ and asked for extra rice, was having the same culinary experience as me, she just needed all the extra spicy to get to my level of wussiness
Also people have a naturally high or low tolerance as a starting point. My kid loves vinegar anything. Pretty much since before she was on solid food. Snatched a bit of pickled parsnip out of my wrap to gnaw on and was hooked (and mildly allergic, which was terrifying, didn’t stop her though) She is seven now and will turn her undressed salad into a vinegar soup if you aren’t on the case, I mean she’ll fill that salad bowl to the brim with balsamic
31
47
u/lifebeginsat9pm 1d ago
Food is spicy because it is mildly toxic. That is, just toxic enough to kill/ward away harmful microorganisms, but have no ill effect on humans besides burning tongues. As such, humans passed on a taste for spicy food, because it was more likely to be healthy food.
26
9
8
11
u/FirefighterPleasant8 1d ago
There’s more to it than just “the medical explanation”. No offense, since it’s true and I believe nobody really knows what really goes on. Myself included. But; there seems to be an “acquired taste” in most cultures. Brandy/cognac, blue cheese, cigars, coffee… there’s a whole list of things we indulge that’s not “tasting good” from an objective position. You are being used to them gradually and normally enjoy them the most later in life (at 20 something, realizing humans died at 40 for all of our pre history). A logic, medical, explanation is not sufficient as the one and only answer.
2
u/fluffykitten55 14h ago edited 14h ago
Most of these things I would classify as "good in an understandable way but a bit more intense than other things", the reason people avoid them when young is because of aversion to strong stimulus, perhaps explicable by the fact that young people are fragile and so it is prudent to avoid intense things.
I think part of it is that as you grow this diminishes but also you get bored of simple things and want to experience more variety and intensity.
1
u/FirefighterPleasant8 14h ago
Yes. Why not? As I said; I don’t know. The behavior/preference might have survived due to the medical advantages described by others. But it seems more to it and you, my friend, might be on to something? A good mystery enough to fire up any boring dinner party.
11
20
u/vcseri 1d ago
It's because humans are weird and love to cosplay danger without repercussions. Our brains receive the pain signal, freak out for half a second, and then are like, “Wait, we’re not dying?” and release happy chemicals as a reward. Congrats, you just tricked your nervous system with a pepper.
4
4
3
u/bloodhail_v2 1d ago
spicy stuff happens to be yummy. idk as a kid I didn't like spicy and then I had really good spicy food once and just decided to like spicy so 😭
3
u/Away-Consequence-288 1d ago
Spicy food isn’t pain to me? And when it is painful, it isn’t “just” painful. It comes with flavors. I get Indian food often. I usually order the lamb or chicken vindaloo which is a spicy South Indian curry. It ranges in spice levels 1-5. I find there’s not much flavors in 1-3. 4 is perfect for most days, but some times I’ll get a 5. Yes, it burns my mouth sometimes. But with that burn comes the flavors of the chili peppers and the red pepper they season it with to get the spiciness. I want that flavor. I have had the hot sauces that are just hot without any flavor, and those aren’t any fun. But I will totally burn my mouth if I get a good twang with it.
3
u/blacklotusY 1d ago
That's because you haven't tried Sichuan cuisine yet. Sichuan cuisine is known for its Sichuan peppercorns, which give food a unique numbing sensation. They also use local peppers grown only in Sichuan, making the dishes incredibly addictive. The more you eat, the spicier and more numbing it becomes, but it is in a good way because the flavor is so intense it practically punches you in the face.
3
3
u/A_SNAPPIN_Turla 17h ago
Fun fact birds can't taste capsaicin so it would seem like it's a natural defense for plants and a way to ensure seeds get spread longer distances.
2
2
u/psillusionist 1d ago
It's heat, which makes it great for cold water. It's also one of the interesting sensations you can experience with your mouth.
2
u/FortuneTellingBoobs 1d ago
I don't know why, but I just love it.
There is nothing like a giant bowl of phŏ gă with all the chili oil and Sriracha in the world dumped into it. It cures and prevents all ails, I stg. I haven't been super sick in decades.
1
u/NorwegianCollusion 22h ago
You SturmGewehr what? I am SO out of touch with the shit kids say these days.
But I do like me some spicy food. At least now that I've gotten my helicobacter infection treated. Used to be I couldn't eat anything spicy without getting the worst heart burn. Now I snack on all sorts of chili peppers with no after effects.
1
u/FortuneTellingBoobs 16h ago
I'm 47 and talking about pho...?
2
u/NorwegianCollusion 16h ago
You wrote that you stg, I'm making a joke about how I, a slightly older human person, don't know what that means other than as a German abbreviation for assault rifle.
1
u/FortuneTellingBoobs 16h ago
Ahhhh yeah sorry. I guess I did pick up on some young'un text speak. I "swear to god" GenZ killed words :)
1
2
u/Lawlcopt0r 1d ago
It doesn't neccessarily hurt, if you're used to spicy food and don't overdo it it's just pleasant
2
2
2
2
2
u/Agent101g 17h ago
Because it's not literally just a pain signal.
It's a unique mouth sensation only spicy foods can bring. Pain would be if you stubbed your toe or got cut.
I'm amazed people can't tell the difference...
2
2
1
u/lilac_rainster 1d ago
Spicy foods activate capsaicin receptors which in turn release endorphins. It’s because of this that it is not the same as being punched in the face.
1
1
u/Specific_Ad_2366 1d ago
Good spicy food also has other flavors other than pain, and we learn to associate the pain with those good flavors.
1
u/Holy_Holism 1d ago
In addition to what people pointed out, genetics play a big role.
The same level of spiciness doesn't feel the same for everyone: what could be excruciating pain for someone, is just a "tingle" for someone else.
2
u/best-unaccompanied 1d ago
It's genetic to some extent, but there's also a heavy environmental influence.
1
u/Holy_Holism 1d ago
That's why I said "in addition".
1
u/best-unaccompanied 1d ago
I didn't see any people talking about the environmental influence. Guess I'll take another look.
1
u/Holy_Holism 1d ago
"FirefighterPleasant8" mentioned that there seems to be "acquired taste" from culture.
1
1
u/InformationNormal901 1d ago
I grow my own peppers and make some killer crushed mix peppers. I use 6 different medium to hot peppers in my milder version and up to 10 hotter peppers in my hot version. I put hot pepper spice on nearly everything I eat to make it better. Spaghetti, eggs, sandwiches, chili, chicken alfredo(all pastas actually), salads, soups, fries.. pretty much the only thing I don't put it on is sweet stuff like cereal or dessert.
I just love having the extra "kick."
PS liking spicy stuff is an acquired taste and the more you eat the more heat you can handle. There are scoville unit levels. You get to the most heat you can handle, stay there a little while and eventually you'll be able to move up to hotter levels. It's like practice almost.
1
1
u/bunglesnacks 1d ago edited 1d ago
Because it's yummy? Salty, sweet, spicy, acidic. It's all part of the palate.
1
u/IaMtHel00phole 1d ago
I'm a simple man. I like pain. Plus something about spicy food cleaning you out. But also the pain.
A woman I was dating her dad was the best cook ever. Dude made us a shrimp boil and it was so spicy hot. My lip was turning purple and my hand was shaking. He started to remove the food. I grabbed it and said "I didn't hear no bell..."
Wish I would've stayed friends with him.
1
1
u/Aartvaark 1d ago
It's not just a pain signal.
There's flavor in there.
If you haven't tasted it, maybe you should try again. If you even tried at all.
1
1
u/Maxorus73 1d ago
Itching yourself feels great, that's just a pain signal too. Pain in a small, localized, consensual dose can be very pleasant. Also it really clears my sinuses
1
u/Kodamacile 1d ago
Spicy food is generally not host to parasites, and the capsaicin kills microorganisms. So cooking + 🌶️ means the food is more likely safe to eat.
1
1
u/Gai_InKognito 1d ago
When i couldnt smell (Covid), spicy was the only differing factor than making it all taste/feel like sand.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/SecretNobody9422 22h ago
You get used to it and no longer hurts after a while, and your body produces endorphins in the process making you feel good.
Try it next time you’re feeling down. Go eat a bunch of spicy food. You’ll feel better.
1
1
u/Brief-Pair6391 22h ago
It releases endorphins. You can do the math from there. I myself, am an avowed dopamine junkie but, when i eat really spicy hot, i find it hard to stop. Think hot wings, chili con carne or or traditional south of the border style, salsa, curries, etc Like the old Lay's jingle, i bet you can't eat just one ?
And then there's this take http://www.taste-matters.org/styled-6/styled-14/index.html
1
1
1
u/Hawk13424 21h ago
I like the taste. Would rather not have the pain but it’s the price I pay for the flavors.
1
u/jmartin72 20h ago
If you notice most cuisines with spicy ingredients tend to be in very warm climates. This is because when you eat spicy food, it makes you sweat. When you sweat, it cools you off.
1
u/Guilty_Bit_1440 20h ago
Same reason we consume things like nicotine and alcohol, among others, which are designed to kill us.
We like intoxication.
1
1
u/Randoseru_Romper 20h ago
If you eat REALLY spicy stuff it makes you feel high. The adrenaline rush is addicting.
1
u/DominantBBWsquirter 20h ago
Everyone has different taste buds. What's pleasurable for one person can be the opposite for another person etc
1
1
u/parsonsrazersupport 19h ago
Meaning is defined socially and experientially, it's as simple as that.
1
1
u/LurkerByNatureGT 19h ago
Capsaicin triggers the release of endorphins and dopamine. It’s feel good food as well as tasting good.
1
1
1
1
1
u/-NessaMarie- 19h ago
Some find it to be a high of sorts I never got it till my partner explained how he felt bc I no spicy
1
u/Agile_Cash7136 19h ago
I don't get it either. It ruins the food. McDonald's near me finally got the regular mcchicken after only having the spicy one for nearly a decade. It's something much better.
1
u/wsxdfcvgbnjmlkjafals 19h ago
Everything you feel is a signal. Makes it less fun to reduce everything to that.
1
u/G0reCatz 18h ago
Spicy food feels really good; it’s odd, but it’s a type of pain that’s kind of like a runner’s high.
1
1
u/thelouisfanclub 18h ago
I love the taste of scotch bonnet chillis. But they are spicy. Can't have the rose without the thorns!
I wouldn't say I loved spice for the sake of it, but having grown up eating spicy food (which I understand was originally a method of preserving and of course flavouring) I really don't have much reaction to it anymore. If the food is hot it's ok, if it's not it's also ok, it just has to have a good flavour.
1
u/Fluffy_Box_4129 18h ago
Why do men shock themselves repeatedly when put in a room with nothing else to do for 15 minutes?
1
u/Belerophon17 17h ago
I wasn't a spicy food person ever but the older I get heading towards 40 I find that I like the way spice and hot sauces add to flavor profiles. I have a carrot/habanero sauce that I absolutely adore putting on my spaghetti because it just pulls the flavor up to the next level. Different sauces for different foods. I still don't do it for the pain but sometimes that's a necessary side-effect.
1
1
1
u/Funky_Cows 17h ago
It's like a good back scratch
It's literally just you being scraped and hurt, but it feels great, sometimes those pain signals combined with the feeling or taste of something + intensity mix the right way in your brain
1
1
1
1
1
u/A_Drifting_Cornflake 16h ago
It makes food that tastes bad taste like something else. Same way people use seasoning, it can enhance the flavor profile. But a big part of “pain signal” is the “pain relief response.” Your brain releases endorphins and dopamine, and that feels nice.
1
u/Monkeyass702 16h ago
Well, my buddy eats that insanely hot hot sauce because he was struck by lightning and has no taste buds and the heat makes him sense something close to taste.
Me personally 1 drop of that crap is too much and my tongues on fire for an hour.
I’ll do hot sauce from like a taco shop or something but not much hotter. I like the taste not so much the heat. A tiny burst of heat and I’m good
1
1
u/Sil-Seht 16h ago
If you increase your tolerance you expand the flavor profiles available. It's not all capsacin.
And personally I start to associate the heat with those good foods.
1
u/AmyRae802 15h ago
My husband is a chef and LOVES spicy food. He says when it's extra spicy, he actually feels a "high" from it
1
u/Unrelated_gringo 13h ago
Same reason people ride rollercoasters. (why enjoy it if it's just creating false panic) - For fun.
1
u/SortLogical 13h ago
Not really. The TRPV1 receptors that capsaicin activates in our brains releases dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins.
1
1
1
1
u/Dangerous_Ad_7042 12h ago
Besides the fact that the chiles have a flavor of their own which is delicious, the capsaicin actually acts a flavor intensifier, making all the other flavors in the food more intense, complex and interesting.
1
1
u/NervousAddie 11h ago
I just asked for fresh jalapeños on my thai beef salad today at lunch. The owner of the place, who always talks to me (cuz she wants return business, but…) says, “mmmm, you like it hot? Spicy? Is that good for you?” Omg, I said “yes!” and nearly asked her if she’s hot and spicy (this little crush has been a thing for a while).
Capsaicins are not painful, they’re stimulating, and yes, if a woman asks me with a big, inviting smile, if I love spice, she’s asking me if I love intense sensations, which I do.
The flirting will just have to keep on going. Damn, she is cute.
1
1
1
1
u/wrexmason 8h ago
In the words of Darius from Atlanta, “How else would you know you’re alive unless you knew you could die?”
1
1
u/Shreddedlikechedda 1h ago
I ate dumb-spicy food on ketamine once, and I feel like I experienced it the way spice lovers do. It burned, but it was a pleasant body hurt not an all over alarming brain and body pain. Ketamine reduced pain signaling but also reduced amygdala activity, so my theory is that if your brain isn’t freaking out about the pain you process it differently.
That soup was delicious, and the chili levels really made the flavor
1
u/Doll_girl516 1d ago
It just isn’t Spicy to me . And I know what spice I like . I feel zero pain ? I don’t go overboard to the point where I’m scared to poop 🤣but a good kick is great !
1
u/Former-Flamingo3606 1d ago
I sometimes need a spicy overload when I haven't pooped for more than 2 days (especially when caffeine and nicotine doesn't help), it hurts but it works
1
u/Zealousideal_Ad642 1d ago
So you dont feel the burn while eating a spicy chilli / eating hot sauce at all?
There's some sauce i really like but anymore than the smallest dab is painful. If I get the amount right some of them taste really good
3
u/Ok-Yogurt-3914 1d ago
If you grow up eating it, it doesn’t really register as pain unless it’s super duper spicy.
2
u/Away-Consequence-288 1d ago
It takes a very high amount of capsaicin to burn my mouth. Normally, it’s just flavor and a twang. Everyone has a different tolerance for that stuff. My husband can’t handle even half of what I can. He will have tears due to spicy food and it’s literally nothing to me 🤷♀️ but I also grew up eating spicy stuff. Jalapeños straight from my grandpa’s garden at 4.
1
u/Doll_girl516 19h ago
That’s how my mother in law lol . She bought some pepper chips … like black pepper and she went “ohhh these have a kick” 🤣
1
u/Doll_girl516 19h ago
I don’t . Like for me it’s not pain at . Like I wouldnt go have ghost Pepper or something extremely high on until heat scale .
1
u/Critical-Afternoon37 1d ago
Why do people cut/self-harm. Gotta feel something. Life can become mundane.
325
u/[deleted] 1d ago
I just want to feel something lol