Why Do Humans Love Spicy Self-Torture?S  Only food prudes are
afraid to dabble with a little hot sauce occasionally. But why
do any of us enjoy it at all? Capsaicin, the chemical behind
hotness, causes your brain to literally think your tongue is on
fire.  Scientists are at a loss as to why we adore spicy stuff,
says The New York Times. Beyond culinary taste, there are
verified medical benefits—spicy foods lower blood pressure,
potentially knock out other bodily pains, and maybe even help
fight microbes. But humans have been pouring hot things on their
food since long, long we had any understanding of our
bodies—evidence of hot pepper cultivation dates back to 4,000
BC.  Maybe, some scientists think, we're just wired to be
gluttons for pain. The University of Pennsylvania's Paul Rozin
thinks each time you slater your sausage with some kind of
atomic pepper death paste, you're exhibiting what he terms
"benign masochism." A recent study of Dr. Rozin's showed that
subjects, when consuming an increasingly hot pep