system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Why do we gain a tolerance to spicy foods with increased exposure?
gpt
The TRP channels that are the heat receptors activated by capsaicin (the 'spicy' molecule) are likely down-regulated in a homeostatic way if you eat spicy food a lot. Taken to an extreme, too much can actually cause dieback of the nerves! Not always permanently, but it can be.