If you like spicy food - and I love spicy food - then you'll find this report from Harold McGee's blog rather interesting. It concerns the evolution of capsaicin, the pungent chemical that makes chilis so spicy:
Levey, Tewksbury and colleagues tested the theory that capsaicin selectively repels rodents and other grain-eating mammals, which would chew up the chilli's seeds along with the surrounding fruit, while having no deterrent effect on birds, which have no teeth, swallow the fruits whole and defecate the seeds intact. They monitored wild chilli plants in Bolivia and in Arizona with video cameras, and found that only birds ate the fruits, as the theory predicts. Interesting sidelights: in past studies, lab rats frequently fed hot chillis have developed a strong liking for them, just as many humans do. And the wild species that were monitored, Capsicum chacoense and Capsicum annuum, bear fruits with a significant oil content, unlike our domesticated varieties. Oily chillis could be an interesting new ingredient.
Of course, that still doesn't explain why capsaicin tastes "hot," and why spicy food "burns" our tongue. For that, we need to investigate the physiology of taste. It turns out that capsaicin binds to a special class of vanilloid receptor inside our mouth called VR1 receptors. After binding capsaicin, the neuron is depolarized, and it signals the presence of spicy stimuli.
But here's the strange part: VR1 receptors weren't designed to detect capsaicin. They bind spicy food by accident. The real purpose of VR1 receptors is the detection of heat. They are supposed to prevent us from consuming food that is too hot, in the thermal sense. (That's why our VR1 receptors are clustered in our tongue, mouth and skin.) So when they are activated by capsaicin the sensation we experience is that of excessive heat. We start to sweat and get the urge to drink lots of water. But that pain is just an illusory side-effect of our cell receptors. There is nothing "hot" about spicy food.
- Log in to post comments
Mistake. Water doesn't do any good. Capsaicin is not very hydrophilic. Next time, try a mango lassi with that.
And next time, ask for ghost chilis. They're hotter than a habanero.
Fascinating, Jonah. Those VR1 receptors do not seem to be restricted to the tongue. I still love eating spicy food, but the delayed effect has gotten harder to take as I've gotten older, alas. As the friend of a friend put it a couple of days after eating a particularly searing curry (hear this with an Edinburgh accent): "It was hotter goin' out than it was goin' in!"
Hence "squirrel-proof" bird seed for your feeder, which (to my surprise) works quite well.
This has been running around in the rabbit-nest of my head for some time, why have I heard of people getting blisters from eating hot food? After all, it is a fairly innocuous chemical binding to a receptor, there shouldn't be any "there" there.
Yet, blisters.
I'd guess the blisters are caused not by the capsaicin itself, but from a too-vigorous inflammation reaction--your body's response to the perceived injury.
Hence "squirrel-proof" bird seed... undercut by in past studies, lab rats frequently fed hot chillis have developed a strong liking for them.
I've heard at least one tale of squirrels "making the leap" -- the witness claimed the squirrel would eat a few seeds, "wipe" his snout and "chuff" for a few seconds, then repeat.
Yet, blisters.
I can think of at least two mechanisms: Firstly, besides the taste, capsaicin is an irritant to mucous membranes -- thus its use in "pepper spray", the modern successor to Mace. I wouldnt be too surprised if it occasionally irritated normal skin as well, let alone if it gets into a cut.
The other possibility is weirder -- consider that we also have heat receptors in our skin, and those get triggered by capsaicin as well (thus its use in athritis creams). Even if there's no "real" insult to the flesh, it's quite possible that some folks could get a psychosomatic burn....
My observation is that they don't stay very long ... and after trying it a few times, they don't bother much at all.
Ah, don't remind me that I still owe the third part of my Hot Pepper series....
My observation is that they don't stay very long ... and after trying it a few times, they don't bother much at all.
I'd guess the blisters are caused not by the capsaicin itself, but from a too-vigorous inflammation reaction--your body's response to the perceived injury.
My observation is that they don't stay very long ... and after trying it a few times, they don't bother much at all.
Alan, Talented employees are welcome everywhere! I am sure that all involved are aware there are 'HR' methods to acquistion of talent for a corporation. Public corporations, as SUN, are held to very high standards of operation. Ask Mr.McNealy! Our 'letigious society', which has not assisted those 14,500 individuals departing HP, will quickly SUN 'bash' given ANY opportunity presented. Rest assured GP has the best of intentions for these folks, be wary of giving IT ?pundits? new fodder!
This has been running around in the rabbit-nest of my head for some time, why have I heard of people getting blisters from eating hot food?
Thank you so much for providing individuals with an extraordinarily brilliant opportunity to discover important secrets from this web site. It's usually very beneficial and as well , jam-packed with amusement for me personally and my office mates to visit your web site not less than 3 times a week to read the fresh things you have got. And definitely, I'm so always motivated with the unbelievable tips you serve. Selected 2 tips in this post are absolutely the best I've had.
I want to start a website where i can put google adds on, i have 10 dollars to spend and i know that isn't a lot but it is better than those free websites that don't let you do anything. so how do i get started?.
I have a video post in blogger then how can I put a repost link to that? I have already go to addthis but don't know how to put the code in its proper place wherein the individual posts are being place with an embed this or repost this or share this. Please help..
Hey could I services some of the discernment from this blog if I stock up a tie-in treacherously to your site?