Can’t Handle the Heat? Learn Why Foods Are Spicy for Some but Not for Others

"Is it spicy?" It's a common question before someone samples a dish—yet it isn't an easy one to answer. What might be spicy to one person seems mild in taste to someone else. The tortilla chip served with a fresh salsa can hit just the right notes for one food fan and send another looking for a glass of water. (But don't grab water! We'll tell you why...)

The basics of food and flavor rely on science and how the ingredients in our food interact with the molecules in our bodies. The sensation of something being "hot" or "spicy" is often described as a taste. Technically, this reaction to an ingredient is a pain signal sent to the brain. The physical response to eating something spicy can include sweating, stomach pain and discomfort, headaches, and a tingling sensation of the tongue and lips.

Feel the (Hot Pepper) Burn

What is in a food that causes it to be spicy? Dishes like jerk chicken, curries, Sichuan pepper recipes, Kung Pao chicken, and kimchi are known for their bracing flavors that can be felt as a slow burn that builds. That's because some of the spiciest foods contain compounds that bind to nerve receptors along the gastrointestinal tract, including the mouth, that are activated by heat.

For example, chiles contain the compound capsaicin. The capsaicin is what binds to the receptors in the body when eaten and sends a signal to the brain setting off the reaction of starting to "feel the burn" in a food.

Other popular ingredients that add varying levels of spicy sensations include black pepper, smoked hot paprika, chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper. The chemicals found in peppercorns, horseradish, and spicy mustard bind to the same receptors in a less potent strength.

This is where the Scoville Scale comes in handy to give us a measurement or comparison to base our mild to hot spice levels on.

How Does Spice Work on the Tongue?

The primary part of the body responsible for taste is the tongue. It is where millions of microscopic receptors that make taste possible are located. The tongue detects the five tastes of bitter, sweet, salty, sour and umami. There are also thousands of pain receptors which are called VR1 receptors that are activated with a response to an ingredient like capsaicin.

When the molecules in your food come in contact with the receptors that register pain on your tongue, the burning sensation sends a signal to the brain. An ingredient like capsaicin makes the body think the temperature has risen and the brain reacts by getting the body to cool down, which begins the process of sweating.

And How Long Does It Last?

It can feel like the overwhelming reaction may never go away when you are gripped by a spicy overload of a reaction but the pain and discomfort will eventually subside. The relief should arrive in about 15-20 minutes.

Why Do Some People Like Spicy Food and Others Don't?

The answer to why some people love to experience all the sensations of eating a spicy curry and others want nothing to do with the experience comes down to a simple explanation: everyone's bodies and sensory perceptions are different. The spiciness of a food is based on the individual person's heat index and taste receptors.

According to Dr. Allan Capin via Cleveland Clinic, "Some people are naturally more tolerant of spice because of genetics. They are just born with fewer receptors for capsaicin, which gives them a built-in tolerance for heat." Receptors can change over time as well, making it possible to build a higher tolerance for hot and spicy foods.

What Happens if the Spicy Sensation Is Too Much?

If you find yourself on the receiving end of an overly spicy food experience, you do not want to reach for a glass of water for relief. It will only make things worse! Capsaicin as an oil does not mix with water and will only worsen the effects. Relief will happen when you eat foods that bind to the capsaicin molecule as well, such as dairy, bread, and rice. Water will not counterbalance the effect of the spicy food but actually spread the molecules in your mouth and make it more painful.

Capsaicin is soluble which simply means it will dissolve in other oils like those found in milk products and fatty foods. Once it becomes diluted, the capsaicin molecules in your mouth don't bind as well to the pain receptors on your tongue.

Sugar will also block capsaicin from taking hold onto pain receptors. This is the reason you will often find sweet wines paired with spicy foods, because the sugar content coats your mouth and helps prevent the burning sensation from happening when consuming spice.