There’s an increasing trend of people eating spicy food with the hot sauce market exploding.

Speaking with Gareth Parker, Associate Professor of Science and Medicine at Bond University Christian Moro said people seek out the “chilli burn” for the rush.

“It’s just something fun that we crave,” he said.

However, it’s not all for fun, research shows eating chilli may have health benefits including providing antioxidants and reducing the amount of salt we eat.

“When we go to spice up our food, instead of reaching for salt, people who prefer a bit of spice will reach for the chilli,” said Professor Moro.

“Anything that can replace salt in our diet is massively beneficial.”

The good news is Professor Moro confirmed eating chilli can’t do any long term.

“You can get a lot of discomfort though.”

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