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Why do some humans love chili peppers?

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Re: Why do some humans love chili peppers?

#91
post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> eating chili triggers an endorphin high, but regularly eating chili makes you less sensitive and hence you have to eat more chili to get your little high I wonder what is the evolutionary reason for that. The older you are, the more defense you needed against bacteria?

Taste sensitivity declines with age. Strong flavours like smelly cheese are disgusting for kids but enjoyed by older adults.

They are enjoyed by adults who acquired that taste: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquired_taste

For instance, it would be really hard to find anyone, no matter how old, who enjoys surströmming or hákarl without having become acquitted with them.

Re: Why do some humans love chili peppers?

#93

These two papers give a much better answer than this blog: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S138904172... (why do humans increase their chili consumption) and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8042654/ (antibacterial + disease-alleviating properties of capsaicin). Besides the fact that capsaicin has antibacterial effects and exerts indirect disease-alleviating effects during bacterial infe…

I’ve gotten to a point where I prefer to drink a hot spicy soup in a cup over many things. If I drink coffee, it also always burning hot with a solid mix of cream, sugar and cinnamon. One of the things it helps me achieve is a small warmth that also helps me sleep.

I don’t even resort to hot sauce for the broths anymore, just cutting up one or two small chili peppers makes the soup hotter.

The soups are becoming a really good diet trick because they have little to no calories (but have insane amounts of sodium).

Some chicken bullion, ginger/lemon grass (paste or the real deal), chili peppers, black pepper and salt has truly started becoming my morning coffee.

Re: Why do some humans love chili peppers?

#94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

diarrhea and irritation of anus/emorrhoids

I don't think there is any real, verified, universal connection.

well, that's what happens to me, even with a small quantity, every single time. And I know it's the chili because it burns like the mouth did the previous day

Re: Why do some humans love chili peppers?

#95

These two papers give a much better answer than this blog: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S138904172... (why do humans increase their chili consumption) and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8042654/ (antibacterial + disease-alleviating properties of capsaicin). Besides the fact that capsaicin has antibacterial effects and exerts indirect disease-alleviating effects during bacterial infe…

> eating chili triggers an endorphin high, but regularly eating chili makes you less sensitive and hence you have to eat more chili to get your little high I wonder what is the evolutionary reason for that. The older you are, the more defense you needed against bacteria?

Biological systems seeks homeostasis on a very deep level. A lot of our brain is devoted to normalizing volume and brightness, for example.

The reason chili enthusiasts need more over time is basically the same as the reason heroin enthusiasts do.

Re: Why do some humans love chili peppers?

#96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can't tolerate? The world champions in chili eating contests are caucasian.

I think that's less tolerance for spices and more just white guys being into weird frat house style competitions. I mean can you imagine a black Jackass

world star

Re: Why do some humans love chili peppers?

#97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But would you eat chilli peppers like how you'd eat other fruits and veggies? Say tomatoes or beets. No. ofcourse not.

I don't know what you mean. Raw chillis are commonly served in this area (Eastern Europe) together with soups, just like raw onions, for example. However, I've never seen anyone eat a raw beetroot. And of course, people don't put tomatoes in fruit salads, as the old saying goes - different fruit are eaten in different ways.

Raw beetroot is actually a great salad vegetable. We have it grated sometimes. Some can be a little earthy and have a bit of heat like radish or ginger.

Re: Why do some humans love chili peppers?

#98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But would you eat chilli peppers like how you'd eat other fruits and veggies? Say tomatoes or beets. No. ofcourse not.

Well you don't eat potatoes raw do you? Nor do you eat an eggplant raw and many others. I don't understand the argument here

Raw potatoes are risky because of toxins that can be present.

Re: Why do some humans love chili peppers?

#99

The article briefly mentions Paul Rozin, but his "benign masochism" framework is actually a more general theoretical explanation for why people like (apparent) negative experiences. It's quite interesting [0]. I'm trying to find an older paper by him where he goes into peppers more specifically. One thing I remember from it is that he notes that our enjoyment of spicy food is localised . I like the burning sensation…

Capsicum patches are popular with athletes, a partner of mine would put them on her lower back when ballet would get strenuous.

We would sometimes forget about that before sex, and the capsicum would migrate. Neither of us enjoyed that much.

So we can rule the other mucous membranes out, for (almost!) everyone, but it can be pleasant over sore muscles.

Re: Why do some humans love chili peppers?

#100
post #88
post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is uncharitable to the genetic diversity in the implied western competition. If there was a difference, it would express itself immediately

Quoted post unavailable.

What is the aim of your chaotic and pugnacious dialogue here?

Is it to prove that foreigners aren't invited to the eat chiles championship? To get proof that there are not-white people in the US?

Just being cantankerous?

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