The Real Reason Some People Are Better At Tolerating Spicy Foods

There’s a reason some people seek out the spiciest peppers ― like the ghost pepper ― and others shy away from mild jalapeños. It all has to do spice tolerance, and some folks just have more than others.

While we know that spicy foods are good for us, scientists aren’t sure exactly why some people can tolerate so much heat ― but they have a few ideas. One reason could be that some people are simply born with less sensitivity to spice, in that their heat receptors are less responsive than average. Another possibility is that a person built up their spice threshold by eating a lot of spicy foods, which has a desensitization effect.

Yet another possibility is that those with high spice tolerances are benign masochists, which could be linked to your personality type. Where do you fall in these possibilities?

Watch the video above from Sci Show for a complete explanation.

H/T Food Republic