Drinking milk helps to decrease spiciness better than water. Anyone know the scientific reason why?

Question

This is for my daughter's science project. Please provide any sites that may help in our research. What we are trying to find out is: 1. What can be found in the composition of milk, that decreases spiciness? 2. Why does water increase the effects of spiciness (example: Trying to cool your mouth with water after eating a hot pepper)?

Answer 1

Depends on the spiciness.

If you mean capsaicin containing peppers (hot peppers), it's because capsaicin is fat soluble and milk contains butter fat (1-4%).

Water doesn't increase the spiciness, only serves to temporarily relieve the "hot", so that when the physical coolness of the water warms back up, it feels like it's getting hotter. The mind perceives that as a net positive change in heat.

Any fat containing food will decrease the capsaicin content in your mouth, if consumed quickly enough. If not, the capsaicin lodges deeply in the tissue of the taste buds, beyond the "reach" of the fatty foods. Milk is generally drunk cold, increasing the sensation of reducing the heat.

Some consider alcohol containing drinks will dissolve capsaicin, but I believe we rarely drink alcoholic drinks in high enough concentrations to significantly bring the fat soluble capsaicin into solution.

Capsaicin is in the same chemical family as vanilla and cinnamon flavor compounds.

The answer about acids and bases is wrong. Acids are sour, bases are bitter - do you always taste either with milk/peppers?

Answer 2

basically, spicy things are generally acidic. milk is a base. acid + base = neutral.