When 36-year-old Nelson Cheney was little, he began eating spicy peppers and sauces to impress his dad. Cheney, known by his social media handle “@craving_capsaicin” — a nod to the chemical compound that gives chili peppers their heat — got hooked on the adrenaline rush he feels when he eats extremely spicy foods. Both sour and spicy foods generate painful responses, though they activate different nerves in the body. “I’ve got so many people that went from not even eating hot stuff to having a tolerance and now eating spicy food daily. Children and teens tend to be most susceptible to social media challenges, which is why Trucco said parents should pay attention, too.

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Persons: Nelson Cheney, Cheney, ” Cheney, “, he’s, ”, Elisa Trucco, Robert Pellegrino, ” Pellegrino, Paul Rozin, That’s, ” Rozin, it’s, Trucco, “ I’ve, ’ cravings, Edwin McDonald, ” McDonald, Chantel Strachan, Strachan, ” Trucco Organizations: Research, Adolescent, Child Health, Florida International University, Senses Center, University of Pennsylvania, University of Chicago Medical Center, Columbia University’s Vagelos, of Physicians and Surgeons Locations: TikTok, Philadelphia, Massachusetts