why is spicy food so addictive?!


Question: Why is spicy food so addictive?
I bought a bottle of nando's hot sauce yesterday and i've finished it already, i just craved it (i even got up in the middle of the night to have some!), and whenever i go to nando's restaurant i always crave the spice fpr days afterwards. But why is spice so addictive?

P.s i'm not pregnant before anybody asks

Answers:

when capsaicin, the element of chili peppers that cause the "spicy" sensation, comes into contact with the tongue, the body is tricked into believing that it is in pain and releases the pain-relieving endorphins. Endorphins are released by the pituitary glands and they resemble the opiates in their abilities to produce analgesia and a feeling of well-being.

This explains why, like anything that releases endorphins, spicy food can become somewhat addictive. People may crave it and build tolerance levels so that, say, the 30,000 HU cayenne that once seemed very spicy starts to seem quite mild.



Your questions has been answered perfectly by those before me. The only thing I would add is if you like Indian spicy there is a site that has free Indian video recipes:
http://www.tandooricookingexpert.com/
Everything you always wanted to know.



it triggers the pain receptors in the brain which are very close to the pleasure receptors hence why its addictive



releases certain chemical



three cheers Simon
exactly Pain Lovers




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