4 ms·

Another question I think should be added to the list: Why did spicy foods become so popular when the first sensation they cause is pain?

egman_ekki 4y ago
You could say the same about cactuses.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
bratbag 4y ago
I believe spicy foods kill certain types of gut parasites. So at some point in our evolutionary history some weirdo who liked a bit of spice was born, burned the parasites out of their gut, and then with their increased health and no calories being stolen natural selection did the rest.
ndsipa_pomu 4y ago
Us humans are just a pawn in the chili plants' game of spreading all over the world. Initially, capsaicin was produced to prevent mammals from eating the fruit (peppers) and instead encourage birds to spread seeds over a wider area (which is why they are brightly coloured to attract birds). Now that humans can travel greater distances than birds, the plants have switched strategies (or at least we've deliberately grown flavourful varieties everywhere we can).
Galanwe 4y ago
This reminds me of the kind of things one could find on /r/showerthoughts Same vein: why do we do towel laundry since we're using them after the shower once we're clean.
- Eisenstein 4y ago
  You are conflating 'clean' with 'sanitary'. You may have washed the dirt and oils off of your skin and hair but your body itself contains, produces, and provides habitats for all manner of organisms, cells, and biological and chemical substances that slough off onto anything around it. Take sterile cotton swab and rub it on your 'clean' post-shower butthole and grow a culture from it and tell me how 'clean' it really is.
  - angrais 4y ago
    > Take sterile cotton swab and rub it on your 'clean' post-shower butthole and grow a culture from it and tell me how 'clean' it really is. Great idea for the weekend, thanks!
- cactusplant7374 4y ago
  The bathroom is a place filled with moisture. If you’re taking two showers a day the towel may spend most of the day wet. It’s a good environmental for mold. But I also think these rituals are about being pure. Washing off the struggles of the day.
guerrilla 4y ago
> Why did spicy foods become so popular when the first sensation they cause is pain? Could be related to why BDSM is popular.
boomboomsubban 4y ago
Why did they become popular recently? Pain causes the release of endorphins, overall making you feel good. A similar concept as a runners high, except achievable watching TV on the couch. Their original spread was likely for the same reason as most other spices, it could be used as a preservative by masking the taste of semi-rotten food.
- cactusplant7374 4y ago
  Yes, my question was written to bypass that answer. A very small amount of spice to a beginner is going to be painful and not release many endorphins. My parents hate spicy food. They have never mentioned endorphins or feeling good.
  - boomboomsubban 4y ago
    Small amounts can cause a good amount of pain for those who aren't used to it. I remember putting crushed red pepper on a piece of pizza as a child and finding it unbearably hot.
timeon 4y ago
Maybe lot of people have dull taste buds and, with pain, they can actually feel something.
chestervonwinch 4y ago
> Several alternative hypotheses were considered-that spices provide macronutrients, disguise the taste and smell of spoiled foods, or increase perspiration and thus evaporative cooling; it also is conceivable that spice use provides no benefits. However, none of these four alternatives was well supported by our data. The proximate reason spices are used obviously is to enhance food palatability. > But the ultimate reason is most likely that spices help cleanse foods of pathogens and thereby contribute to the health, longevity and reproductive success of people who find their flavors enjoyable. From: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/420058 https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/420058

egman_ekki 4y ago

You could say the same about cactuses.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

bratbag 4y ago

I believe spicy foods kill certain types of gut parasites. So at some point in our evolutionary history some weirdo who liked a bit of spice was born, burned the parasites out of their gut, and then with their increased health and no calories being stolen natural selection did the rest.

ndsipa_pomu 4y ago

Us humans are just a pawn in the chili plants' game of spreading all over the world. Initially, capsaicin was produced to prevent mammals from eating the fruit (peppers) and instead encourage birds to spread seeds over a wider area (which is why they are brightly coloured to attract birds). Now that humans can travel greater distances than birds, the plants have switched strategies (or at least we've deliberately grown flavourful varieties everywhere we can).

Galanwe 4y ago

This reminds me of the kind of things one could find on /r/showerthoughts Same vein: why do we do towel laundry since we're using them after the shower once we're clean.

Eisenstein 4y ago
You are conflating 'clean' with 'sanitary'. You may have washed the dirt and oils off of your skin and hair but your body itself contains, produces, and provides habitats for all manner of organisms, cells, and biological and chemical substances that slough off onto anything around it. Take sterile cotton swab and rub it on your 'clean' post-shower butthole and grow a culture from it and tell me how 'clean' it really is.
- angrais 4y ago
  > Take sterile cotton swab and rub it on your 'clean' post-shower butthole and grow a culture from it and tell me how 'clean' it really is. Great idea for the weekend, thanks!
cactusplant7374 4y ago
The bathroom is a place filled with moisture. If you’re taking two showers a day the towel may spend most of the day wet. It’s a good environmental for mold. But I also think these rituals are about being pure. Washing off the struggles of the day.

guerrilla 4y ago

> Why did spicy foods become so popular when the first sensation they cause is pain? Could be related to why BDSM is popular.

boomboomsubban 4y ago

Why did they become popular recently? Pain causes the release of endorphins, overall making you feel good. A similar concept as a runners high, except achievable watching TV on the couch. Their original spread was likely for the same reason as most other spices, it could be used as a preservative by masking the taste of semi-rotten food.

cactusplant7374 4y ago
Yes, my question was written to bypass that answer. A very small amount of spice to a beginner is going to be painful and not release many endorphins. My parents hate spicy food. They have never mentioned endorphins or feeling good.
- boomboomsubban 4y ago
  Small amounts can cause a good amount of pain for those who aren't used to it. I remember putting crushed red pepper on a piece of pizza as a child and finding it unbearably hot.

timeon 4y ago

Maybe lot of people have dull taste buds and, with pain, they can actually feel something.

chestervonwinch 4y ago

> Several alternative hypotheses were considered-that spices provide macronutrients, disguise the taste and smell of spoiled foods, or increase perspiration and thus evaporative cooling; it also is conceivable that spice use provides no benefits. However, none of these four alternatives was well supported by our data. The proximate reason spices are used obviously is to enhance food palatability. > But the ultimate reason is most likely that spices help cleanse foods of pathogens and thereby contribute to the health, longevity and reproductive success of people who find their flavors enjoyable. From: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/420058 https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/420058