Loving spicy food stems from your personality, according to new research from Penn State University.

Lead researcher John Hayes previously told NPR people who enjoy action movies, adventure-seeking and exploration, are six times more likely to enjoy the burn of a spicy meal. The sweat and lightheadedness associated with spicy food triggers a kind of euphoria, releasing endorphins in the same way thrills such as rollercoaster rides do. Now, he and co-researcher Nadia Byrnes are building on these results. But instead of personality, Hayes and Byrnes are focusing on gender differences.

Apparently, women who are heavy-handed with the sriracha are actually drawn to the sting in their throat. Men, on the other hand, possibly withstand the heat to play into traditional gender roles. The study, published in the journal Food Quality and Preference, suggested “the cultural association of consuming spicy foods with strength and machismo has created a learned social reward for men.” Though a separate study published in Physiology & Behavior found a man’s high levels of testosterone and general enjoyment of the color red factor into whether or not he eats something spicy.

Personality and gender inclinations aside, there are universal benefits to eating spicy food. One study found blocking the body’s ability to feel pain is a way to live longer. One way to do this is eat chili peppers because they’re rich in capsaicin, a component used as topical pain relief for conditions, like arthritis, and itchy skin. Discovery News cited spicy foods "boost metabolism and positively affect the cardiovascular, respiratory, and gastrointestinal systems," too.

DN also cited spicy food consumption, from hot sauce to the touch of heat in sandwiches and burgers, rose from 46 percent in 2009 to 54 percent in 2014. It’s not a significant increase, but this means more than half of consumers enjoy eating spicy foods.

If we’re focusing on hot sauce, sriracha has become the brand to be beat; it’s inspired everyone from Subway to Kettle Brand chips and bloody mary’s at your local bar to incorporate it in their menu. Manufactured by Huy Fong Foods, this brand provides a unique spicy and garlicky taste. In fact, the sauce packs so much heat that odors wafting from the plant burn the eyes and throats of neighboring residents. This caused the Los Angeles-based plant to temporarily shut down, promptly inspiring consumers to believe there was a shortage.

While sriracha will resume its regular shipping schedule within the month, it's good to know we can substitute the feeling we get from a bottle is basically equivalent to a trip to a theme park or movie theater. You know, in the event of an actual shortage.

Source: Byrnes N.K. and Hayes J.E. Gender differences in the influence of personality traits on spicy food liking and intake. Food Quality and Preference. 2015.