What it might mean when you crave something spicy
Food cravings are crazy. Your body simply wants…it craves, and it can seemingly come from nowhere. “Seemingly”, though, is the key term here. There’s always a reason your body craves.
A craving can be your body’s way of getting you to ingest specific nutrients that are running low or getting out of balance. Cravings might also be alerting you to certain health problems or it may simply be your body wanting a specific side effect of the food. There are many possible reasons why a person would be craving spicy food like hot peppers and horseradish that cut across all of these possibilities.
Your body is overheated and wants to cool down.
There’s a very good reason why people crave spicy food during the summer months and in warmer regions. Spicy foods are diet staples in warm climates, such as India, Mexico, and the Caribbean. They make people sweat, which is the body’s way of cooling a person down. Of course, people don’t usually need help sweating when they are hot, but this perspiration is sometimes not enough to cool someone down to a comfortable level. Spicy foods will make a person sweat even more than they already are, bringing them from on the verge of overheating to just plain warm.
You’re getting congested.
Spicy foods are great at clearing the sinuses. When you start to come down with a cold or your allergies begin to bother you, you may not realize that you’re starting to experience congestion. Your body may give you a craving for this easy remedy to stave off congestion when it sees problems on the way. But know, for all the cravings, the congestion-clearing benefit is short term at best!
You many have a thyroid imbalance.
Capsaicin, a major ingredient in spicy foods, kicks up the metabolism. If your thyroid is being sluggish, you may crave spicy foods to increase your metabolism. If you have the occasional craving, there is most likely no major health issue to cause concern. If you suddenly can’t seem to get enough spicy foods, then you might want to get checked for hypothyroidism.
You’re craving the rush to relieve pain or enhance your mood.
Spicy foods cause a release of endorphins when you eat them. Endorphins are your body’s way of relieving pain, and they also cause a mildly euphoric feeling. That endorphin rush is also a safe way of lifting your mood, so your body may simply be looking for a way to relieve being down and stressed.
They’re simply more enjoyable and memorable than most other foods.
A simple explanation for craving spicy food would be that they are just plain tasty. Their bold flavor tends to stick in your memory longer. Spicy foods also move you to pay attention to their taste, so it’s easier to savor spicy foods than bland foods. Your body could simply be seeking the experience again because it was such a memorable meal.
Whatever the reason for craving spicy food, savor their potent flavors and enjoy the endorphin rush. There are so many benefits to these fiery flavors that the craving is certainly worth satisfying.