Addiction to Spicy Foods

I think I may have a slight addiction to spicy foods. About 90% of the food I eat is either already spicy or I add hot sauce on/in it to make it that way. I have about three to four different hot sauces I like to use depending on what I’m eating. If I am using ranch dressing as a dipping sauce for chicken or something similar I will add hot sauce to the ranch to spicen it up a lil. I love any and all things spicy which as you guessed it will include Indian and Thai food.

So why do we love or have an addiction to spicy foods?

Capsaicin, is a part of a chili pepper that causes the “spicy” sensation. When it comes into contact with our tongue, our body is then tricked into believing that it is burned and in pain then it releases the pain-relieving endorphins.

What are endorphins you may ask?

Endorphins are neurotransmitters produced in the brain that reduce pain, They have also been known to induce euphoria. Drugs such as morphine, heroine and cocaine also have endorphin-releasing effects.

So maybe it’s not really the spicy foods that we could be addicted to,but the releasing of the endorphins.

Here are some other great things that release endorphins:

1. Exercise hard – Most athletes will tell you of a “runner’s high” that they sometimes feel when they push their bodies to the limit. Endorphins are released when you are involved in strenuous exercise that allows your body to go beyond physical pain and its limitations and it may leave you with a euphoric high.

2. Listen to soothing music such as classical and instrumental selections. – It has been found that thirty minutes of listening to this kind of music has released endorphins that have an effect equal to that of the muscle relaxer pill known as Valium.

3. Eat some spicy food. – Spicy food can trigger the brain to release endorphins because it thinks the mouth is on fire and needs chemical relief to the brain.

4. Spend some time in the sun. – Overexposure to light can also cause a release of endorphins.

5. Have a healthy sex life. – Intense pleasure causes the same effect as intense pain when it comes to endorphins (my personal favorite).

6. Laugh and cry. – Some people claim that laughing hard for ten minutes can give at least two hours of pain-free sleep to those affected by painful illnesses. Some researchers claim that the body releases endorphins to release pain while experiencing the emotion that causes tears.

7. Eat something sweet or have something chocolate. – These items stimulate your brain’s pleasure pathways and cause the release of endorphins. Unfortunately when the short-lived sugar rush is over, so is the effect of endorphins and you will be left feeling tired and worn out.