Why do we love spicy foods even though they burn us?

About 20 million years ago, an evolutionary step taken by plants backfired. At least when it came to humans.

The chemical compound that gives peppers their heat, which is believed to have evolved to deter mammals from eating them, only made them more desirable. Once humans figured out how to grow these spicy foods, they became addicted.

Since then, hot sauce has exploded into a billion-dollar industry. There are modern restaurant franchises known for offering almost intolerable levels of spice, and even a viral talk show where guests eat chicken wings with increasingly spicy sauces.

So this raises the question: Why do we find spice so problematic?

What makes food spicy?

There are many natural chemical compounds that give food its spicy flavor, including cinnamaldehyde in cinnamon and allyl isothiocyanate in wasabi. But capsaicin, the compound found in bell peppers and chili peppers, is by far the best-known culprit.

When ingested, capsaicin activates a pain and temperature sensor in the tongue known as TRPV1, said Yuan Peng, a professor and pain researcher at the University of Texas at Arlington. By activating this receptor, capsaicin tricks the body into thinking it has eaten something very spicy, resulting in the characteristic burn of peppers.

To combat this perceived pain, the body releases “happy hormones” like endorphins and dopamine. This can put people in a state of alertness and result in temporary mood improvements, similar to a “runner’s high,” Peng said.

Why do we like spicy food?

Researchers have proposed many hypotheses about why someone might like spicy food, including oral anatomy, cultural or social influences, repeated exposure, and even personality traits.

According to the National Institutes of Health, about 1 in 4 people in the United States are "supertasters." This means they have a more sensitive sense of taste than the average person and tend to find bitter foods like black coffee and dark chocolate unpleasant. People with supertasters may also have more taste buds and pain receptors, which can make them more sensitive to spicy foods.

Studies also suggest that factors that lead to repeated exposure, such as cultural background and social influences, can change how much someone likes it. Repeated exposure is thought to result in something called chronic desensitization, in which the sensors on the tongue become less sensitive to spicy food, making it more tolerable.

From a psychological perspective, repeated exposure can also increase familiarity with spicy foods, causing someone to develop a liking for them through a process known as the "simple exposure effect."

A 2014 study from Pennsylvania State University suggests that people with a tendency toward sensation seeking and greater sensitivity to rewarding stimuli are more likely to enjoy spicy foods. This means that if you tend to enjoy new and exciting experiences, you're more likely to enjoy spicy ones.

So the truth is that liking spicy food is a little more complicated than a matter of preference. Genetics, cultural and social background, and your personality can all have some influence on someone's love of the "burning sensation."/ DPA News.