Editing Capsaicin (section)

===Food===
{{Main|Pungency}}
[[Image:Karnatakadishes.jpg|thumb|[[Curry]] dishes]]

Because of the burning sensation caused by capsaicin when it comes in contact with [[mucous membranes]], it is commonly used in food products to provide added spiciness or "heat" (piquancy), usually in the form of [[spices]] such as [[chili powder]] and [[paprika]].<ref name="nyt">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/science/21peppers.html|title=A Perk of Our Evolution: Pleasure in Pain of Chilies|newspaper=New York Times|date=20 September 2010| vauthors = Gorman J |access-date=16 March 2015}}</ref> In high concentrations, capsaicin will also cause a burning effect on other sensitive areas, such as skin or eyes.<ref name="bio">{{cite journal | vauthors = Rollyson WD, Stover CA, Brown KC, Perry HE, Stevenson CD, McNees CA, Ball JG, Valentovic MA, Dasgupta P | title = Bioavailability of capsaicin and its implications for drug delivery | journal = Journal of Controlled Release | volume = 196 | pages = 96–105 | date = December 2014 | pmid = 25307998 | pmc = 4267963 | doi = 10.1016/j.jconrel.2014.09.027 }}</ref> The degree of heat found within a food is often measured on the [[Scoville scale]].<ref name="nyt"/>

There has long been a demand for capsaicin-spiced products like [[chili pepper]], and [[hot sauce]]s such as [[Tabasco sauce]] and Mexican [[salsa (sauce)|salsa]].<ref name="nyt" /> It is common for people to experience pleasurable and even [[euphoria|euphoric]] effects from ingesting capsaicin.<ref name="nyt"/>  Folklore among self-described "[[wikt:chilihead|chilihead]]s" attribute this to pain-stimulated release of [[endorphins]], a different mechanism from the local receptor overload that makes capsaicin effective as a topical [[analgesic]].<ref name="bio"/>

{{anchor|Medical}}