Why does spicy food burn your tongue

So, you ate the hot wings, and now here you are: Frantically searching the internet for some sort of spicy food hack — literally anything to put out the fire spreading through your mouth and keep you from sweating bullets.

Armed with your new knowledge about the science of capsaicin, here are the do's and dont's of cooling your mouth down after eating spicy food:. DO reach for some dairy. Many milk-based products contain a protein called casein, which can help break down those capsaicin tricksters.

Think of casein as a detergent — attracting, surrounding and helping wash away the oil-based capsaicin molecules floating around your mouth, similar to how soap washes away grease. The catch here is that the dairy product you choose must contain casein to have any chance of cooling your mouth down.

Good examples of milk products that contain casein include cow's milk not almond, coconut or soy milk , yogurt, cottage cheese or sour cream. DO drink something acidic. For those who need or want to avoid dairy, don't fret! You've got an option, too: acid. Remember how we said capsaicin is an alkaline molecule? Balancing it with an acid can help neutralize the molecule's activity.

This means drinking or eating something acidic — such as lemonade, limeade, orange juice or a tomato-based food item or drink — may also help cool your mouth down. These 27 ideas for using leftover wine prove that it's both satisfying and resourceful.

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Mouth on Fire? Medically reviewed by Stacy Sampson, D. Ethanol can lower the temperature at which the capsaicin receptor is activated , which has been suggested to be the reason why a shot of alcohol burns. It may also be why spicy food can taste spicier if you're drinking warm booze, and why that chilled drink is so satisfying. Ethanol has other peculiar properties: after ethanol has been applied to the tongue, your mouth hurts more easily , perhaps because of the connection between this receptor and pain perception.

And on the other side of the spectrum, the chill of menthol in peppermint also arises from an odd coincidence. A receptor that triggers when the temperature in your mouth takes a dive is also set off when menthol is around.

Of course, all this isn't limited to your mouth. The same receptors are present in your skin. If you were to bathe in Szechuan peppercorns, you'd get the same effect, and rubbing your eyes after chopping a hot pepper is an unforgettable experience.

But we grow so used to the riot of sensations caused by food that it's worth drawing attention to these odd wonders. Underestimating the temperature of steam, hot food, or liquids can cause a burn on your tongue, mouth, or lips. Frequently eating and drinking extremely hot food and beverages without testing the temperature puts you at a higher risk for tongue burn.

The good news? That mouth-on-fire feeling only lasts for a limited amount of time. Because the sensation of heat and pain is from a chemical reaction, it will eventually fade once the capsaicin molecules neutralize and stop binding to the receptors.

Typically, this takes about 20 minutes, Currie said. For immediate relief, suck on something cold, like ice cubes or popsicles. Also, yogurt, milk, or honey can help by coating the burned area.