Science says milk is the best way to ease a burning mouth if you've eaten too many chilies, but new research calls into question WHY milk works better than other drinks.
Q: What if I just swigged straight casein, or some other molecule that has been shown to bind with capsaicin?
A: The available evidence would suggest this isn't just about washing the capsaicin out of your mouth. Once your TRPV1 receptor (the heat pain sensor that you have all over your body) has been triggered, it's gonna relay a pain sensation to your brain for a while, even if you wash the capsaicin away immediately. It's like if you touch a hot stove, you're gonna keep feeling the burn long after you take your hand away. But, like with capsaicin, you're gonne get temporary relief if you run your hand under cold water.
Q: Can capsaicin make, er, other sensitive tissues of my body burn?
A: Sure can — you have TRPV1 receptors in lots of places, especially in your eyes and nose, which is why pepper spray works.
Q: Would milk also work best with black pepper, or wasabi?
A: Not sure. Those ingredients also trigger the same receptor, and they are chemically related to capsaicin, but they're not the same thing, and there is not as much of this kind of research about them.
A: Do you think that shot made me look tough? I don't think it made me look tough! I was really suffering there! I did it for science. Also, the real chili-heads were certainly not impressed, given that habaneros are still pretty far down on the Scoville scale compared to, say, ghost peppers.
Q: Are all of your videos going to be about chilis now?
A: No. I came across this study while I was researching last Monday's video. I tried to fit it into that video, but that video was already too long, so I decided to split it out into its own video.
Q: Did you suddenly get a different camera or a bigger kitchen?
A: Thanks to your viewership and my sponsors, I have been able to make a number of expensive equipment upgrades lately, including a full-frame camera body. This is my first video with that body. If you don't know what that means, it essentially makes the camera look more zoomed out. Part of the reason my channel evolved its EXTREME CLOSE-UP aesthetic is that my kitchen is very small, and with a cheap crop-sensor camera body, it was often physically impossible for me to get the camera any further away from things and still get the depth-of-field I was after. The new body is giving me a lot more options.
Q: Are you just trying to get on Hot Ones?
A: Not for $10 million could you get me to do that show. (The show is great, I just don't want to eat that stuff. Though I probably actually would do it for $10 million. Call me.)
Q: Did you mix a whole Kool-Aid packet into one glass of water?
A: No, I just poured in a little bit.
aragusea
"It's an illusion but the pain is real"
That is some deep stuff there
amir
I love to imagine someone in immense pain and this video litterally saving their ass in the first 10 seconds
guscox
Giving you mad props for putting the answer right at the front of the video, then going through the experiment. Very classy.
Penndragon
As an Indian, I've always opted for yogurt. I usually have some Greek yogurt in my fridge that I find most effective for those times I get too excited with the spices and 'slip'. My British girlfriend isn't very excited about the slips and very much appreciates the yogurt compared to milk as well. I use semi skimmed, for comparison.
MegaCraigh
No drink is cooler than me, guess ill just suffer
alexj
"The pain lingers." "Alcohol would make it worse."
Adam's giving some real lessons here.
toprak
"Why I burn my mouth and not my steak"
dragomihaljevic
This man just slapped himself to prove a point
We honestly don't deserve Adam
Angel-nlwy
Swishing peroxide for 10- 15 seconds works immediately for me
jonas-qz
Hey, considering you mentioned viscosity could theoretically be the answer, why not try cacao-based drinks?
Nesquik, Colacao...Whatever brand you guys have and of course the good ol' pure raw Cacao, with fat and without fat. On milk and on water.
I'd do it myself, but I'm too lazy, poor and I fuckin' hate Nesquik, I must taste that bitterness or else.
Days
Adam, we already know you want to go on hot ones
rhyses_
This video was just a excuse to slap himself on camera
Gustavo-ygro
"But the pain is gonna linger for a minute or two"
Except for chillies it hurts from the moment it enters your mouth till it comes out the other end
UMIunited
An anecdotal story: A few years back, a buddy and I were really into spicy foods and doing dumb things in general. Said friend thought it would be a good idea for us to try dried ghost chilies. Luckily, beforehand I decided to pick up some TruMoo high-protein chocolate milk, assuming the combination of protein, sugar, and fat would help with the high concentrations of the capsaicin oil.
Long story short, it went from a dizzying, near-panic amount of pain, to a mild, jalapeno-like burn. Though obviously a very small sample size, I've always recommended that sort of combination of fat, sugar, and protein to people whom want to go out of their comfort zone with spices, or are suffering from such stimuli.
criscringle
The whole temperature thing makes so much sense. Everyone I talk to is like, "water isn't going to help you, it just spreads the burning." I know from personal experience that it definitely does help, ans frequently drink a glass of cold water with my spicy meals. Sure milk is better, but cold water still does SOMETHING to help.
Swampert
“It’s an illusion but the pain is real”
That’s how to describe poor mental health
spookable
"But the pain is gonna linger for a minute or two"
I wish that worked for life in general
TheSandman
Look at his neck when he says fleeting lmao
0:45
colinfarley
Adam, one word for you: eggnog!
It has a ton of sugar and protein, other flavors that also mask the spiciness and confuse your taste buds, and I know you just said otherwise, but the addition of alcohol HELPS. Yes, the alcohol triggers the same burn pain receptor, but it does so in a milder way than capsaicin does, and as it fills those receptors it blocks more capsaicin from triggering them (also, the addition of a hard liquor like brandy brings in even more sugar). Further, while capsaicin is hydrophobic (which is why water barely helps, as it just moved the capsaicin around your mouth), it is alcohol soluble. Interestingly, it is also fat soluble, and I imagine the reason why you don't notice the difference between skin and full fat milk is simply because the difference in fat content isn't actually all that great. While skim milk has about 0% fat, full fat milk has about 3.5%, and for eggnog you really want premium custard, which has closer to 6% fat.
I strongly recommend that you give this a try with a few different store bought and homemade eggnog recipes.
