It’s no secret that many of us love spicy food.
In fact, you might say we crave the extra spice so much we’re always looking for new ways to experience the hot pepper scale. But have you ever wondered why you’re craving so much spicy food? It turns out it could have to do with everything from the weather to your current health situation.
Sure, you may not have any issues eating spicy food.
For you, it may just come down to preference. But for others, there could be something else at play. For example, some people crave spicy food when the weather changes. That’s especially true when we start getting into the colder months of the year. Because hot peppers contain capsaicin, we may naturally crave spicy food to help ourselves feel warmer. That’s because capsaicin stimulates warmth. It’s no wonder that so many people enjoy hot stew and chili during the winter months. Not only is the food often piping hot, but you can also spice it up to your liking. The same thing sometimes goes when you’re dealing with rhinitis. You know the feeling when you’re sneezing with a running nose and nasal congestion? Because eating spicy food can help reduce some of the symptoms, it’s really no wonder that people crave it come mealtime.
There are a couple of other health conditions that may potentially change a person’s food preferences over their lifetime.
Sometimes people dealing with depression crave spicy food. Of course, anyone suffering from depression should seek medical expertise, but it’s said spicy food may help a little with mild symptoms. Pregnancy is also a time when women are drawn to certain types of food and repelled by others. Hormonal changes could be at play, or it could have to do with the chemicals found in certain foods.