Study: Men who like spicier foods are "alpha males" with higher levels of testosterone

Their testosterone levels were measured from saliva samples and they were presented with a plate of mashed potatoes and invited to add chili sauce to taste. Those who added the most hot sauce had the highest testosterone.

The hormone drives men to seek thrills and new sensations, leading them to frequent “more stimulating social groups and take more risks,” according to Professor Begue.

“In this case, it applies to risk-taking in taste,” he said. “It is also possible that the regular consumption of spicy food contributes to increasing testosterone levels, although so far this has only been demonstrated on rodents.”