2006-11-17 08:45:38 · 6 answers · asked by The big bad wolf 1 in Food & Drink ➔ Other - Food & Drink
What makes these foods spicy is a chemical in the white ribs of jalapenos called capsaicin. Capsaicin was originally a defense mechanism of the peppers, but humans tend to enjoy this painful zing that adds so much flavor to our dull diets.
Capsaicin is lipophilic, which means that it has an affinity for fat. This explains why the hotness is spread around when you drink water, but eating more food helps to absorb it. An overload of capsaicin causes cells to die. Cell death is caused by injury rather then a programmed death. This cell death could be the reason for some peoples desensitization to hot foods.
Capsaicin does have some good effects. It is known to have analgesic effects that help with arthritis and post-herpetic neuralgias. These analgesic effects could have something to do with the fact that capsaicin causes cells to die, less cells equal less pain.
But what in the human body causes us to perceive this chemical as a burning hot sensation? The capsaicin comes into contact with the trigeminal cells (pain receptors) in the mouth, nostrils, and throat. The brain then interprets this as pain.
2006-11-17 08:50:42 · answer #1 · answered by MIA 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Chilli's are hot due to a chemical found in the membrane, not really the seeds of these peppers. the Chemical called Capsaicin is what causes your mouth to "burn". different peppers have different levels of Capsaicin sweet peppers being the least and habaneros being the most intense. if you give a child a habanaro pepper it is quite possable to destroy there tate buds for alittle over a week.
The way the Heat of these peppers are measured is by a special type of scale called scoville unit scale, which tells you how hot certain peppers are. how this is determined is by how mant squirts of sugar water it takes to eliminate this "burning" sensation. quite interesting :)
Chef Rob A
2006-11-17 09:17:37 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Chili peppers have a substance in them, especially the seeds, called capsaicin. It's this substance that gives chilis their heat.
2006-11-17 08:48:52 · answer #3 · answered by incredible_werekitty 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In short, you're allergic to them. We're all allergic to them. The spicy sensations you get after having one of those peppers in our mouth is our bodies' allergic reaction to them.
2006-11-17 08:59:50 · answer #4 · answered by agentman18 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Peppers are hot to prevent animals from eating them untill they are ripe.
2006-11-17 08:48:41 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The same reason that sugar is sweet. They just are!
2006-11-17 08:56:30 · answer #6 · answered by Val G 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋