Question: How does you body handed spicy foods?

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  1. That’s a great question, 123becca.

    Everyone can handle different levels of spice or heat, and you can definitely train yourself to eat hotter and hotter foods. Foe example, as a kid, i hated spicy foods, but these days, i love them (but there’s definitely things that are still even too hot for me!)

    There is a fabulous episode of Myth Busters with lots of facts about spicy food, and ways to out out the fire in your mouth! And it’s hilarious!

    Watch this…

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  2. Eating chilli can prevent you from tasting other flavours properly, according to scientists at the University of California. These scientists found that volunteers reported that sweet and bitter flavours were less intense after eating capsaicin, the chemical from Chilli. Their perception of saltiness and sourness was not affected. We all have a different set of taste buds, perhaps this is genetic, perhaps this is environmental?

    Another weird fact, chickens are insensitive to capsaicin/chilli and so are not burned by a spicy curry. Not that I can imagine people feed chickens curry!

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  3. Good question 123becca.
    The substances that give chili peppers their intensity when ingested or applied topically are capsaicin. The sensation of “hot” is from the binding of capsaicin with pain receptors in your mouth and throat that are responsible for sensing heat. These receptors then send a message to the brain and the brain responds to the burning sensation by raising the heart rate, increasing perspiration and release of endorphins. What this means is that eating chili does not actually cause a chemical burn, or indeed any direct tissue damage at all.

    Ultimately, as the ladies mention, you can train yourself to take more and more spicy/hot food. In fact, studies have shown that consuming hot/spicy foods actually has a protective affect against gastric cancers (gut cancers)!

    Hope that makes sense and answers your question. Vote Yash 😉

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