can ice help with spicy food?
This is more just out of curiosity then anything. I just wondered could eating ice or somehow making you mouth colder before eating spicy foods, such as chill peppers or such, help lessen the spiciness?
Best Answer
No.
The chemical action of capsaicin (the compound that triggers the burning sensation) is an effect on chemical receptors in your taste buds. It's perceived to a degree as temperature but it's entirely independent, so making your mouth colder wouldn't help.
The only way cold would minimize a spice burn is if you made your tongue/mouth cold enough to freeze, numb, and damage your taste buds, which would be a really bad idea.
Ice won't really help relieve the burn after you start feeling the spice either, because capsaicin isn't water-soluble. Here are some better suggestions for relief.
Pictures about "can ice help with spicy food?"
Quick Answer about "can ice help with spicy food?"
Chewing on ice cubes may help. While the water in ice won't do squat, the cold will at least numb some of the pain, says Gulgas. Bread is better. It absorbs liquid in your mouth, which can help pull the capsaicin molecules out of the receptors in your taste buds.Is ice good for spicy food?
No. The chemical action of capsaicin (the compound that triggers the burning sensation) is an effect on chemical receptors in your taste buds. It's perceived to a degree as temperature but it's entirely independent, so making your mouth colder wouldn't help.What helps relieve spicy food?
Balancing it with an acid can help neutralize the molecule's activity. This means drinking or eating something acidic \u2014 such as lemonade, limeade, orange juice or a tomato-based food item or drink \u2014 may also help cool your mouth down. (Milk is also acidic, by the way.) DO down some carbs.Does ice water help spice?
How much do we hate experiencing a burning sensation as we eat anything spicy? We generally turn to cold water in order relieve ourselves from the fiery feeling in our mouth. However, it may only worsen the case as it may spread the capsaicin - a compound found in chili - inside your mouth.Why does ice make spice worse?
Capsaicin has non-polar molecules in it, which can only dissolve with other non-polar molecules. Water is made of polar molecules, which means not only will it not provide a cooling effect\u2014even if it's in ice form\u2014it actually spreads the capsaicin molecules around, making your mouth feel even hotter.How Spicy and Cold Foods Affect Your Body | WebMD
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Lachlan Ross, Kamaji Ogino, Julia Larson, SHVETS production