Whether the spice they seek is fiery or acidic and sour, humans can be drawn to the perceived danger of extreme spicy foods. Like watching a horror movie, the experience stimulates a fight-or-flight response during which the brain releases endorphins and dopamine, hormones that make people feel good. After the brain determines everything is safe, there’s a sense of accomplishment in overcoming a dangerous situation.
“These challenges are really drawing people in who have that psychological affinity — sensation-seeking, reward-seeking types of behaviors. So the more dangerous it is, the more thrilling it is,” said Elisa Trucco, director of the Research on Adolescent and Child Health Lab at Florida International University.
Both sour and spicy foods generate painful responses, though they activate different nerves in the body. When saliva breaks down spicy food, capsaicin travels to the throat, nose and esophagus and activates nerves involved in the sense of touch, said Robert Pellegrino, a postdoctoral fellow at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia.
The ensuing pain is similar to touching a hot stove.
“You can feel spice everywhere,” Pellegrino said.
On the other hand, sourness activates taste nerves. When people eat sour foods, the body initiates a pain reaction because it detects an acidic substance that could be harmful if ingested.
In both cases, the brain can override the initial pain reaction. Paul Rozin, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, attributes this override to humans’ ability to differentiate between serious and “benign” pain. Eating moderate amounts of spice is generally safe, he said, but even so, the body treats it as a health threat.
“That’s where the pleasure comes, from the fact that you’re overriding your body’s signal not to do this,” Rozin said.
In addition, people often film these food challenges on social media, which triggers a similar dopamine release, because it’s designed to positively reinforce our behavior through likes and follows.While all these feel-good hormones may satisfy some individuals’ cravings, extreme food challenges have faced backlash amid several deadly incidents. Last year, a teen died in Massachusetts after attempting to eat a tortilla chip packed with chili pepper extract for a social media challenge. Extremely sour foods can also have harmful consequences: In April, a 10-year-old girl in the U.K. suffered burns in her throat after ingesting supersour candy she saw in a TikTok video.
Dr. Edwin McDonald, a gastroenterologist at the University of Chicago Medical Center, emphasized that while spicy and sour foods are safe in moderation, extreme spice could mean a hospital trip.
“Consuming some foods that have capsaicin in it may be associated with increasing longevity and decreasing the risk of cancer,” McDonald said. “But these are not the peppers that people are doing in the challenge.”
Extreme eating challenges can be dangerous for those with underlying medical conditions such as high blood pressure and asthma, said Dr. Chantel Strachan, an internal medicine physician and assistant professor at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Because of the uncertainty, Strachan advised thinking twice before participating, and consulting a doctor ahead of time.
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