Do you prefer spicy foods? Know why

Men with high levels of testosterone tend to prefer spicy foods, according to French researchers.

This study, entitled (Some Like It Hot), is scheduled to be published in the journal Physiology and Behavior.

This research included 114 men between the ages of 18 and 44, living in the city of Grenoble (south-eastern France), who participated in a food tasting session conducted by a specialized company.

Samples of the men’s saliva were taken to measure their levels of testosterone, and they were asked to rate foods in terms of spices and salt.

After a few minutes, he presented them with a plate of harissa potatoes, along with 50 doses of Tabasco sauce and 80 doses of salt.

After the participants added salt and spices as they wished, they were asked to say whether the dish was salty, spicy, or otherwise.

The results showed a correlation between the participants’ testosterone levels and the spices added to the food.

Laurent Page, one of the authors of this study and who lectures in social psychology at Pierre Mendes University in Grenoble, explained: “These results reinforce those that showed an increase in financial, sexual, or behavioral risk with increasing levels of testosterone… and this rule applies here to Taste risks.

Page recalled that testosterone was the subject of 85,000 scientific articles, and that American professor James Dubbs described it as the hormone of “heroes, thieves, and lovers.”

This hormone prompts the search for strong sensations, which leads to increased risk in many areas, according to Laurent Page.

The psychologist concluded by saying, “It is also possible that regular consumption of spicy foods contributes to an increase in testosterone levels, even if this hypothesis has not yet been proven except in rodents.”