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Name: amandeep
Status: student
Grade: 4-5
Location:  N/A
Country: N/A
Date: May 2006

Question:
I would like to know about spicy foods.How and why do they casue a burn sensation, can you train to eat more spicy food over time? What is the best drink to have if your tongue is on fire?



Replies:
Amandeep,

The reason certain foods are spicy is mainly do to a molecule called capsaicin. Capsaicin is the main compound in chile peppers that give them their spice and is found in many hot sauces as well. Capsaicin is an irritant, which is what causes the burning feeling. I suppose you could develop a tolerance for very spicy foods, but I would imagine that it would depend on how sensitive you are to capsaicin and what your pain threshold is.

In order to reduce the burning sensation, eat fatty foods such as buttered toast. Capsaicin is not soluble in water, so drinking water won't help to reduce the burning sensation after you stop drinking. Capsaicin is very soluble in pure alcohol, so drinking certain high alcohol content beers, like pale ales, or wine should help a little be more than plain water. Even better yet, mouth wash is usually about 20% alcohol, which is much higher than all beer and wines. Rinsing with this may be your best and quickest bet.

Matt Voss


Ok.... good question. Your tongue is made up of a series of [we'll call] sensors,. These respond to different taste sensations,...sweet, sour and so on,...... Well certain foods have chemicals which cause a over stimulation of a certain group of these sensors. Every one has a different level or trigger point, some chiefs are very sensitive to the smallest variation in taste.

So now let's say you just consumed so real hot stuff , and your mouth is on fire. Well unlike a fire the best way to reduce the fire in your mouth is to drink milk.

So there you go. Now you have to think why milk is better then water in this case.

Prof. Przekop, Physicist



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