Why do some people have higher tolerance for spicy foods?

You probably know some people who cannot resist putting anything spicy - from chilli sauce to wasabi - into whatever that they are eating. You can see how much they love spice when you see the pain they would go through, as they chug down water and wipe away their sweat, just to eat spicy food. read more

Tolerance for spicy foods is generally learned through prolonged exposure. You don't give the spiciest things in the cuisine to a new eater of that food tradition. Instead, give them time and an incremental increase in heat and you'll see most people develop a tolerance and love for spicy food. read more

Plants have the ability to activate trigeminal receptors: Mint stimulates cool-sensitive nerves, while capsaicin, the compound in spicy food, triggers receptors in pain neurons. Scientists speculate that some people are born with pain receptors that are less sensitive to capsaicin's sting, but no thorough research exists on the subject as of yet. read more

Some researchers have theorised that certain people who can tolerate spicy food better might have just been born with lesser TRPV1 - which means they have less sensitivity to spice - or that the receptors itself are less sensitive to spicy food. read more