Why Water can not Relieve Spicy?

illustrations spicy flavor. © juicygeniuses

If you are an enthusiast spicy, maybe you'll have fun only if spending a pack of spicy chips level, or boiled noodles with dozens of chili. But many of us are often surprised with an unexpected spicy taste, and often directly sweating and drinking glasses of water.

But often it is useless. Although drinking to flatulence, water often does not relieve the burning sensation on the tongue. Why is that?

Let's start with why spicy flavor occurs.

Spicy sensation (not spicy flavor, but the sensation), is caused by the compound capsaicin contained in chili peppers. These compounds interact with a receptor called TRPV1 pain, which by these receptors would be considered such as detecting hot objects. So that burning sensation in the mouth, the brain is regarded as a burning sensation like flushing boiling water.

The body reacts with tears in his eyes, or suddenly inexperienced. It also makes us react by looking for water to drink. The intensity of capsaicin was influential, in which the more capsaicin, the spicy sensation we receive.

Well, because capsaicin is a non-polar molecules that will dissolve in non-polar substances other, then drinking water to cope with the spicy flavor is a bad thing. Because if we drink water which is polar substances, he would react to capsaicin like water and oil are not met. This will further compound spicy flavor because capsaicin increasingly spread throughout the oral cavity.

If you choose to drink milk or dairy products, it is the right choice. Because the milk contains non-polar molecules. These molecules will dissolve capsaicin and remove it from the mouth.

May be useful.