Question for you guys. I know you can become accustomed to spicy

>>8176793
Spicy and bland are not opposite ends of a spectrum. Mild foods can have tons of flavor and spicy thngs can be bland.

And yes, there are spicy foods which have great flavor which you won't appreciate if you can't take the heat. Habaneros are a great example.

>>8176793
i agree with >>8176805
the different chilies you're able to enjoy have different flavors. the fruity flavor of habanero in particular, but also the smoky flavor some have naturally.
also, there are different sauces that you wont enjoy fully if youre overly sensitive to the heat.

But what of your sensitivity? If your tongue can withstand acids, do you taste other things more weakly?

>>8178848
Your taste buds won't burn off from eating hot/spicy food. Or maybe they will temporarily, but they heal back.

>>8176793
From what I've read, the mechanism behind chilli tolerance is primarily through downregulation of the neurons that receive the hot sensation. The nerves that sense heat are separate from your taste receptors, so they should be unaffected.

In other words, it's not that your tongue is generally more numb permanently, it's that your brain is ignoring that specific sensation of heat when it occurs.

Not sure about your second question, I believe there's some evidence about capsaicin making other tastes stronger, but it's based on self reported subjective experience.