What helps against the chili heat?

Question: What helps against the heat and pain in the mouth when you have eaten too much chili?

Answer: The Capsaicin in chillies causes the burning in the mouth, which is reported by the pain nerves. Capsaicin is an alkaloid which doesn`t dissolve well in water. For this reason, drinking water after consuming chillies does not help. Capsaicin is only soluble in alcohol or fat.

There are two possibilities to relieve the burning in your mouth caused by eating spicy chillies: To dissolve the Capsaicin or to mechanically scrape it off.

• Capsaicin can be dissolved with the help of food and drink containing fat (milk, yogurt, buttermilk, kefir). Alternatively, alcoholic drinks such as beer, wine and spirits also help. However, milk has a better effect, and also has another advantage. Sometimes the chili heat continues to burn in the stomach, especially when eating chillies on a sensitive stomach. Milk quickly neutralises this burning.
• A piece of bread also works very well against chili spiciness, but why? Through the intensive chewing the Capsaicin is scraped off the tongue and the mucous membranes in the mouth and throat area, thereby removing the spiciness.

Another method is certainly not suitable for everyday use, but it works. Take some salt in your mouth, taking care not to swallow it. The burning sensation will stop very quickly. Then wash your mouth out and it`s done. We haven`t found any scientific explanation for this, but salt must dissolve Capsaicin.