Water, milk, honey, whipped cream … What should we really consume to relieve an overheating mouth after the passage of a spicy food? Here are the foods to avoid so as not to worsen the burning sensation and those to favor to turn off the fire.
No to water, beer and soda!
Questioned by the American edition of the HuffPost, Kurt Miller (better known as Johnny Scoville), eater of self -proclaimed peppers, advises against drinking water, beer or soda to try to calm the burning sensation in the mouth. He explains that the water only makes things getting things because it only moves the active components of the chili elsewhere (throat, esophagus). “”What is happening with water is that it moves capsaicin in your mouth “ warns Kurt Miller. “”You can be relieved for a second when the water is on your tongue. But as soon as you swallow the water, this relief disappears “he adds. If the water brings a slight relief at the moment, it worsens the burn because it then comes back stronger because the spices have been spread all over the mouth.
The effect is the same with beer. “”Beer is mainly composed of water. And although it seems to momentarily alleviate the pain, it does nothing in reality”Says Shahina Waseem, nicknamed the“ UK Chilli Queen ”.
But the worst drink to relieve a chili burn is undoubtedly soda. For Mike Jack, a Canadian who managed to eat 50 peppers Carolina Reaper (the strongest in the world) in 6 minutes and 49 seconds, soda only intensifies the burn. A study has shown that carbonation in sodas activates a protein, TRPA1, linked to pain in nerve cells. This protein is precisely activated by certain spicy foods such as wasabi.
Gargarize with milk before spitting it
If there is one drink to favor to calm a chili burn, it is milk. A study published in 2019 revealed that the fats present in milk can interact with capsaicin, an active compound found in many spicy foods. With milk, the relief is real but temporary. For Kris Fragale, another competition eater nicknamed “Scoville Unit”, the best way to be relieved with the milk is to keep it for a few seconds in the mouth like gargling and spit it afterwards. It advises against swallowing the milk because when it is mixed with spices in the stomach, this can cause digestive disorders.
Other milk -based products can relieve discomfort: yogurt, whipped cream, ice cream or cheese.
Peanut butter to form a protective barrier around the tongue
For Kurt Miller, the best pepper remedy is peanut butter. According to him, this food forms a protective barrier at the level of the language, preventing assets from entering inside. “”My theory is that peanut butter coats the taste receptors of the tongue because it is very thick “he advances.
For other experts in spicy food, sugar and acidity allow the effect of capsaicin. They advise pineapple juice and pickle juice for example.