Spice

As I try to make some chili oil with ghost peppers, I think of the strange sensation of spice. To me, spicy foods have a terribly irresistible attraction, even when they're so hot, I'm suffering. And spice has an odd medical association with neuropathic pain. I've even had patients describe pain to me, not just as "hot" or "burning" but actually "spicy." What is it about this perception that some of us crave and others fear?

The active component of chili peppers, capsaicin, is a fascinating compound. In fact, when it was discovered that some spiders have capsaicin in their venom, it became the first compound found in both plant and animal anti-mammal defense mechanisms. Exposure to mucous membranes, skin, and the lungs can cause medically significant irritation. Yet, it's not an entirely bad compound. Some of us love our spicy foods because capsaicin can induce a sense of euphoria, perhaps from release of endorphins. We actually treat neuropathic pain like shingles with patches on the skin. The two faces of spice fascinates me. How can something evolve to be a highly irritating defense mechanism, yet give us such pleasure and reduce pain when used in particular forms?

Image of ghost peppers shown under Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike License, from Wikipedia.