If your Nando’s order is lemon and herb, then you’ve probably been met by withering looks from devout spice eaters. Herby sauces might be delicious, but not being able to handle spicy food is widely considered a bit tragic.

Then there are the health benefits of eating a diet full of spices. We know that herbs and spices can have a positive impact on the gut microbiome (they count towards that revered ‘30 plants a week’ target, after all), while hot peppers like cayenne contain capsaicin – a compound known to reduce inflammation in the body.

The question is, can you have too much of a good thing? Can you make food too spicy for your health? We put these questions and more to Aneequa Godart, functional nutritional therapist at the London-based longevity clinic HUM2N.

Spicy food benefits: does making your food spicier make it healthier?