While eating spicy food has always been seen as a sign of male boldness, recent scientific research has found that men who enjoy hot food have higher levels of testosterone.
Scientist at the University of Grenoble said that greater quantities of testosterone are linked to characteristics that define the typical “alpha” male, such as aggression, recklessness and a high sex drive.
The research’s co-author Laurent Begue stated that “the results come in line with several researches showing a link between testosterone and risk-taking in the financial, sexual and behavioral fields, in addition to the risk-taking in food taste.”
The said research studied the preference for spicy food of 114 men aged between 18 and 44, who asked to season a sample of mashed potatoes with hot pepper sauce and salt before evaluating the spiciness of the meal.
Saliva samples were then taken from the men, and it was found that those who voluntarily and spontaneously added higher levels of hot pepper sauce had higher levels of testosterone.
On another note, there was no link between the hormone and the amount of salt consumed.
The detailed study, entitled “Some Like it Hot” will be published in the Physiology and Behavior journal early next year.