Why do we love hot foods so much? You know, your favorite brand of hot salsa that lights your tongue on fire, or that bottle of chili paste in your fridge that burns all the way to your stomach.

Not everyone can handle spicy foods, but for those of you who love the stuff, there’s a good reason behind the obsession. When capsaicin – the chemical in spicy foods that makes them so hot, Hot, HOT – hits your tongue, your body registers the sensation as pain. This in turn triggers the release of endorphins, otherwise known as “happy” chemicals that give you an instant head-to-toe feeling of pleasure. While using spicy foods to feel pleasure may seem a bit similar to drug addiction, experts say there’s no harm in enjoying the burn and ensuing rush of bliss. Just be careful you don’t get too used to the heat, otherwise other plain foods in your repertoire will start to taste bland and boring. And remember, if you bite into something fiery (habanero peppers, anyone?) and find the pain unforgiving, keep in mind that capsaicin is a fat-soluble molecule. To calm the burn, don’t drink water, which is (obviously) water-soluble and won’t do a darned thing for curbing the heat. Instead, drink whole milk or have a bite of ice cream for instant relief.