Why do chillies burn your mouth

In the same way that chilli peppers themselves have a curious draw for us humans, so too does watching other humans, particularly famous ones, pushing through the spicy hot sauce pain barrier. See a sample. Exclusive competitions and restaurant offers, plus reviews, the latest food and drink news, recipes and lots more.

Please update your payment details to keep enjoying your Irish Times subscription. Why is the burn of chilli peppers addictive? Aoife McElwain. Eating hot dishes: a source of chemical compounds — and burning pride. Photograph: iStock. Topics: Magazine. Restaurant reviews. Home energy upgrades are now more important than ever.

Commenting on The Irish Times has changed. To comment you must now be an Irish Times subscriber. The account details entered are not currently associated with an Irish Times subscription. Please subscribe to sign in to comment. You should receive instructions for resetting your password. When you have reset your password, you can Sign In. Please choose a screen name. This name will appear beside any comments you post. So to be safe the nervous system responds to the more severe stimulus: pain.

The brain tells the body to react the same as if it's being subjected to a burn , that is, pain, sweating, and flushing. Of course, we humans are a strange breed. We have taken a response that normally signals danger and made it pleasurable. I guess that's no surprise, since we are also the species that bungee jumps and sky dives. Go figure. A Moment of Science is a daily audio podcast, public radio program and video series providing the scientific story behind some of life's most perplexing mysteries.

Learn More ». Give Now ». So what is going on here? This molecule may have evolved as an anti-fungal agent for the plants that bore it. Those particular neurons send a message of heat to the brain, whether the cells are activated by an actual burn or by a hot pepper.

Eating hot chillies - even veritable scorchers - is unlikely to do you any lasting harm Credit: iStock. Sweating is an adaptation for cooling off. Biologists have observed, however, that administering capsaicin over long periods of time in young mammals does result in the death of the pain neurons, Bryant says.

Interestingly, there is even a theory that pepper plants might have developed the molecule as a way to deter mammals from chewing up their seeds. Birds, which eat pepper seeds whole and helpfully spread them in their faeces, do not have the necessary receptors to feel the burn.

But in humans, pepper plants have encountered a special kind of mammal that courts the feeling, to the edge of reason and probably a little bit beyond. If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.