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.
regards to mia
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