In general, when you make it to the hallowed pages of the New York Times, you gain a level of mainstream accessibility not often achieved locally, regionally, or otherwise. This article from James Gorman at the online NYT re-visits a few oft-repeated topics about the beneficial health benefits of eating chile peppers, their potential for pain relief, and the masochism of those who eat them to suffer the capsaicin high that comes with them. Other than the misspelling of “chilies” for the title of the piece, James does a pretty decent job overall:

A Perk of Our Evolution: Pleasure in Pain of Chilies

By JAMES GORMAN
Published: September 20, 2010

Late summer is chili harvest time, when the entire state of New Mexico savors the perfume of roasting chilies, and across the country the delightful, painful fruit of plants of the genus Capsicum are being turned into salsa, hot sauce and grizzly bear repellent.

Festivals abound, often featuring chili pepper-eating contests. “It’s fun,” as one chili pepper expert wrote, “sorta like a night out to watch someone being burned at the stake.”

In my kitchen, as I turn my homegrown habaneros into hot sauce while wearing a respirator (I’m not kidding) I have my own small celebration of the evolutionary serendipity that has allowed pain-loving humans to enjoy such tasty pain.

Some experts argue that we like chilies because they are good for us. They can help lower blood pressure, may have some antimicrobial effects, and they increase salivation, which is good if you eat a boring diet based on one bland staple crop like corn or rice. The pain of chilies can even kill other pain, a concept supported by recent research.

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