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Writer's pictureMolli

How to get rid of burning sensation after eating too much spicy food

As a hot sauce maker, I would say that my tolerance towards spicy food is quite high.

But...

I take no pleasure in thrill seeking activities from spicy food that numbs my tongue and lips.


Many people love the burning pleasure from eating spicy food. The rise of heart rate, increase in breathing and adrenaline flow somehow gives them the thrill. But, too much of it can be quite uncomfortable for some.


So how do you rid of that burning sensation?


Well before we get into that, let's take a moment to understand what causes the burn in chilli peppers.


What causes the burn?

Capsaicin, which is an active component in chillies is what causes the burn when we eat spicy food. When we eat spicy food, capsaicin binds and activates the receptors (VR1 receptors) in our mouth that detects heat. Once the receptor is activated, our body responds the way it would if we ate something hot, and as a result, we sweat in order to cool down, our heart rate rises to increase metabolism and our nose runs and our eyes tear up in response to the irritant.


The trick to get some relief from the burning effect is to neutralise capsaicin and flush it down your digestive system.


Ways to get rid of burning sensation.


1. Drink a glass of milk or yogurt

Milk and yogurt contain a protein called casein that binds to capsaicin and prevents it from reaching the mouth’s pain receptors, shuttling them through your digestive system and help cool down your mouth faster.




2. Starchy food (Starches, such as bread, chips, crackers, potatoes, rice, or pasta,)

Starch provides a natural barrier between capsaicin and your mouth, absorbing some of it in the process as it acts as an absorbent buffer.


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3. Tomato and lemon

The acidity of the chillies can be neutralized with alkaline food such as tomato and lemon. If the spiciness is too much to bear, pick up and much on a few tomato pieces for immediate relief. You can also do the same with oranges, and pineapple.


4. Chocolate

A chocolate bar may come in handy when it comes to reducing that burning, tingling sensation in your mouth. The high fat content in chocolate will help remove some of the capsaicin from the mouth since it is more soluble in fat than water-based solutions. Milk chocolate will provide more benefit than dark chocolate because it has a higher fat and casein content, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, therefore, providing better relief.


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DO NOT DRINK WATER

When we eat spicy food and have the burning sensation, we would think that our mouth is on fire. And we automatically reach out to a glass of ice water to cool down the burning sensation. But the fact of the matter is, it's going to make matters worse. Because capsaicin dissolves in fat, oil, and alcohol but not in water. Chugging water after biting down on a chili pepper will only spread the capsaicin around your mouth, where it will come in contact with more pain receptors and amp up the burning sensation.



So now you know how to rid the burning sensation from chilli peppers. Go on and enjoy your spicy eats!

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