question: Why does spicy food make me feel high?
comment: Spicy foods typically involve something called capsaicin, which causes the body to release pain-signalling chemicals.The body's normal response to pain is to release endorphins - natural painkillers. Adequate capsaicin can bring about the release of enough endorphins to make you feel "high" in the sense that you are no longer in pain and that other sensations may be dampened.
passages: Capsinoid chemicals provide the distinctive tastes in "C. annuum" variants. In particular, capsaicin creates a burning sensation ("hotness"), which in extreme cases can last for several hours after ingestion. A measurement called the Scoville scale has been created to describe the hotness of peppers and other foods.
  
  Section::::Uses.:Traditional medicine.
  
  Hot peppers are used in traditional medicine as well as food in Africa. English botanist John Lindley described "C. annuum" in his 1838 "Flora Medica" thus:
  
  In Ayurveda, "C. annuum" is classified as follows:
  
  BULLET::::- "Guna" (properties) – "ruksha" (dry), "laghu" (light) and "tikshna" (sharp)
  
  BULLET::::- "Rasa" (taste) – "katu" (pungent)
   Because of the burning sensation caused by capsaicin when it comes in contact with mucous membranes, it is commonly used in food products to provide added spice or "heat" (piquancy), usually in the form of spices such as chili powder and paprika. In high concentrations, capsaicin will also cause a burning effect on other sensitive areas, such as skin or eyes. The degree of heat found within a food is often measured on the Scoville scale. Because people enjoy the heat, there has long been a demand for capsaicin-spiced products like curry, chili con carne, and hot sauces such as Tabasco sauce and salsa.
   It is common for people to experience pleasurable and even euphoric effects from ingesting capsaicin. Folklore among self-described "chiliheads" attributes this to pain-stimulated release of endorphins, a different mechanism from the local receptor overload that makes capsaicin effective as a topical analgesic.
  
  Section::::Uses.:Research and pharmaceutical use.
   BULLET::::- Panos Kalidis
  
  BULLET::::- Thanos Petrelis
  
  Section::::Charity.
   The substances that give chili peppers their pungency (spicy heat) when ingested or applied topically are capsaicin (8-methyl-"N"-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) and several related chemicals, collectively called "capsaicinoids". The quantity of capsaicin varies by variety, and on growing conditions. Water stressed peppers usually produce stronger pods. When a habanero plant is stressed, by absorbing low water for example, the concentration of capsaicin increases in some parts of the fruit. 
   Capsaicin is produced by the plant as a defense against mammalian predators and microbes, in particular a fusarium fungus carried by hemipteran insects that attack certain species of chili peppers, according to one study. Peppers increased the quantity of capsaicin in proportion to the damage caused by fungal predation on the plant's seeds.
  
  Section::::Intensity.:Common peppers.
  
  A wide range of intensity is found in commonly used peppers:
  
  Section::::Intensity.:Notable hot chili peppers.
  
  Some of the world's hottest chili peppers are:
  
  Section::::Uses.
  
  Section::::Uses.:Culinary uses.
   BULLET::::- The Habanero Reel: "On a lighter note, I think quite a few people know that I'm keen on spicy food, particularly those who have visited our website. I use a lot of chilli peppers when I cook at home and the generally accepted number 10 strength killer is the habanero – in the Caribbean a close relative of this is the Scotch Bonnet, which I also refer to in this song. 'The Habanero Reel' is just an ode to capsicum, which gives off that excessive, burning heat. Of course, the best thing about it, as I say in the song, is that it is strictly legal!"
   Given its irritant nature to mammal tissues, capsaicin is widely used to determine the cough threshold and as a tussive stimulant in clinical research of cough suppressants. Capsaicin is what makes chili peppers spicy, and might explain why workers in factories with these fruits can develop a cough.
   "H. assulta" is one of very few insects that can successfully feed on and damage plants, such as hot peppers, containing capsaicin. Studies show that long-term dietary exposure to capsaicin stimulates larger larvae. Furthermore, its unique tolerance to capsaicin may have allowed "H. assulta" to expand its host range.
  
  Section::::Food Resources.:Life Stages.
  
  Section::::Food Resources.:Life Stages.:Larvae.
   BULLET::::- Chinese style sauces such as black bean and chili.
  
  Section::::Heat.
  
  The heat, or burning sensation, experienced when consuming hot sauce is caused by capsaicin and related capsaicinoids. The burning sensation is not "real" in the sense of damage being wrought on tissues. The mechanism of action is instead a chemical interaction with the neurological system.
   Psychologist Paul Rozin suggests that eating chilies is an example of a "constrained risk" like riding a roller coaster, in which extreme sensations like pain and fear can be enjoyed because individuals know that these sensations are not actually harmful. This method lets people experience extreme feelings without any significant risk of bodily harm.
  
  Section::::Uses.:Medicinal.
  
  Capsaicin, the chemical in chili peppers that makes them hot, is used as an analgesic in topical ointments, nasal sprays, and dermal patches to relieve pain.
  
  Section::::Uses.:Chemical irritants.
   BULLET::::- Allicin, the active piquant flavor chemical in uncooked garlic, and to a lesser extent onions (see those articles for discussion of other chemicals in them relating to pungency, and eye irritation)
  
  BULLET::::- Allyl isothiocyanate (also allyl mercaptan), the active piquant chemical in mustard, radishes, horseradish, and wasabi
  
  BULLET::::- Capsazepine, capsaicin antagonist
  
  BULLET::::- Gingerol and shogaol, the active piquant flavor chemicals in ginger
  
  BULLET::::- Iodoresiniferatoxin, an ultrapotent capsaicin antagonist found in "Euphorbia resinifera"
  
  BULLET::::- List of investigational analgesics
  
  BULLET::::- Naga Viper pepper, Bhut Jolokia Pepper, Carolina Reaper, Trinidad Moruga Scorpion; some of the world's most capsaicin-rich fruits
   It is also used in the French recipe of mulled wine, called "vin chaud" (hot wine). If allowed to steep in coffee, it deepens and enriches the flavor. The pods can be used in this manner multiple times by the pot-full or cup, as the ease of extraction of the taste components increases with the permeation of hot water.
  
  Section::::Use.:Drug precursor.
   Substances such as ethanol and capsaicin cause a burning sensation by inducing a trigeminal nerve reaction together with normal taste reception. The sensation of heat is caused by the food's activating nerves that express TRPV1 and TRPA1 receptors. Some such plant-derived compounds that provide this sensation are capsaicin from chili peppers, piperine from black pepper, gingerol from ginger root and allyl isothiocyanate from horseradish. The piquant ("hot" or "spicy") sensation provided by such foods and spices plays an important role in a diverse range of cuisines across the world—especially in equatorial and sub-tropical climates, such as Ethiopian, Peruvian, Hungarian, Indian, Korean, Indonesian, Lao, Malaysian, Mexican, New Mexican, Singaporean, Southwest Chinese (including Szechuan cuisine), Vietnamese, and Thai cuisines.
   Capsaicin is also used to deter pests, specifically mammalian pests. Targets of capsaicin repellants include voles, deer, rabbits, squirrels, bears, insects, and attacking dogs. Ground or crushed dried chili pods may be used in birdseed to deter rodents, taking advantage of the insensitivity of birds to capsaicin. The Elephant Pepper Development Trust claims that using chili peppers as a barrier crop can be a sustainable means for rural African farmers to deter elephants from eating their crops. Notably, an article published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Health in 2006 states that "Although hot chili pepper extract is commonly used as a component of household and garden insect-repellent formulas, it is not clear that the capsaicinoid elements of the extract are responsible for its repellency."
   It is anecdotally said that hot peppers help people in the tropics “cool off.” This theory is consistent with the peripheral vasodilatory effect of capsaicin that has been shown to lower skin temperature in humans exposed to a hot environment. Capsaicin feels hot in the mouth because it activates sensory receptors on the tongue otherwise used to detect thermal heat. This receptor is called Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 (TRPV1). TRPV1 receptors are also located in the gut and in other organs. Stimulation of TRPV1 receptors is known to bring about activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Capsaicin has been shown to increase fat burning in humans and animals through stimulation of the SNS.
   This particular sensation, called chemesthesis, is not a taste in the technical sense, because the sensation does not arise from taste buds, and a different set of nerve fibers carry it to the brain. Foods like chili peppers activate nerve fibers directly; the sensation interpreted as "hot" results from the stimulation of somatosensory (pain/temperature) fibers on the tongue. Many parts of the body with exposed membranes but no taste sensors (such as the nasal cavity, under the fingernails, surface of the eye or a wound) produce a similar sensation of heat when exposed to hotness agents. Asian countries within the sphere of, mainly, Chinese, Indian, and Japanese cultural influence, often wrote of pungency as a fifth or sixth taste.
   Both Chinese and Batak Toba cooking include the idea of 麻 ("má" or "mati rasa"), a tingling numbness caused by spices such as Sichuan pepper. The cuisines of Sichuan province in China and of the Indonesian province of North Sumatra often combine this with chili pepper to produce a 麻辣 "málà", "numbing-and-hot", or "mati rasa" flavor. These sensations although not taste fall into a category of Chemesthesis.
  
  Section::::Further sensations and transmission.:Astringency.
   The pungent sensation provided by chili peppers, black pepper and other spices like ginger and horseradish plays an important role in a diverse range of cuisines across the world, such as Korean, Persian, Turkish, Tunisian, Ethiopian, Hungarian, Indian, Burmese, Indonesian, Laotian, Singaporean, Malaysian, Bangladeshi, Mexican, Peruvian, Caribbean, Pakistani, Somali, Southwest Chinese (including Sichuan cuisine), Sri Lankan, Vietnamese, and Thai cuisines.
  
  Section::::Mechanism.
   One of the main spices in the region is the annatto seed, called achiote in Spanish. It gives food a reddish color and a slightly peppery smell with a hint of nutmeg. Recados are seasoning pastes, based on achiote (recado rojo) or a mixture of habanero and charcoal called chirmole both used on chicken and pork.
   Chemical nociceptors have TRP channels that respond to a wide variety of spices. The one that sees the most response and is very widely tested is capsaicin. Other chemical stimulants are environmental irritants like acrolein, a World War I chemical weapon and a component of cigarette smoke. Apart from these external stimulants, chemical nociceptors have the capacity to detect endogenous ligands, and certain fatty acid amines that arise from changes in internal tissues. Like in thermal nociceptors, TRPV1 can detect chemicals like capsaicin and spider toxins.
  
  Section::::Types and functions.:Sleeping/silent.
   Capsaicin
  
  Capsaicin ( (INN); 8-methyl-"N"-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) is an active component of chili peppers, which are plants belonging to the genus "Capsicum". It is an irritant for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burning in any tissue with which it comes into contact. Capsaicin and several related compounds are called capsaicinoids and are produced as secondary metabolites by chili peppers, probably as deterrents against certain mammals and fungi. Pure capsaicin is a hydrophobic, colorless, highly pungent, crystalline to waxy solid compound.
  
  Section::::History.
   When capsaicin is ingested, cold milk is an effective way to relieve the burning sensation (due to caseins having a detergent effect on capsaicin); and room-temperature sugar solution (10%) at is almost as effective. The burning sensation will slowly fade away over several hours if no actions are taken.
  
  Capsaicin-induced asthma might be treated with oral antihistamines or corticosteroids.
  
  Section::::Toxicity.:Effects on weight loss and regain.
   The amount of capsaicin in hot peppers varies significantly among varieties, and is measured in Scoville heat units (SHU). The world's current hottest known pepper as rated in SHU is the 'Carolina Reaper,' which had been measured at over 2,200,000 SHU.
  
  Section::::Species and varieties.:Species list.
  
  Sources:
  
  BULLET::::- "Capsicum annuum"
  
  BULLET::::- "Capsicum baccatum"
  
  BULLET::::- "Capsicum campylopodium"
  
  BULLET::::- "Capsicum cardenasii"
  
  BULLET::::- "Capsicum ceratocalyx"
  
  BULLET::::- "Capsicum chacoense"
  
  BULLET::::- "Capsicum chinense"
  
  BULLET::::- "Capsicum coccineum"
  
  BULLET::::- "Capsicum cornutum"
  
  BULLET::::- "Capsicum dimorphum"
  
  BULLET::::- "Capsicum dusenii"
  
  BULLET::::- "Capsicum eximium"
  
  BULLET::::- "Capsicum flexuosum"
  
  BULLET::::- "Capsicum friburgense" Bianch. & Barboza
  
  BULLET::::- "Capsicum frutescens"
  
  BULLET::::- "Capsicum galapagoense"
  
  BULLET::::- "Capsicum geminifolium"
   Section::::Food.:Effect of processing.
  