Why chillies are hot

Fortunately for heat-seekers, it appears capsaicin does not cause permanent tissue damage, even in high doses. Close Menu. Facebook Twitter Instagram Instagram Adventure.

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I agree to receive editorial enewsletters and special offers and promotions relating to Australian Geographic merchandise and subscriptions I'd like to receive special offers from Australian Geographic partner organisations. Search for:. Search Articles. Search Store. The science of heat Why chillies are hot? Interestingly, while all mammals are sensitive to capsaicin, making it unappealing to rabbits and other such garden pests, birds are immune to its effects. If you grow hot peppers in your home garden, you may see birds eating your peppers, but other animals will likely avoid them.

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Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. He is a biologist who spent 10 years studying wild chili peppers.

He also happens to enjoy eating hot, spicy food. Scientists have discovered many uses for the chemical that gives these veggies their zing. Some people use this weapon for self-defense. In smaller doses, capsaicin can relieve pain, help with weight loss and possibly affect microbes in the gut to keep people healthier.

Now how cool is that? Why would anyone willingly eat something that causes pain? Capsaicin triggers a rush of stress hormones. These will make the skin redden and sweat. It can also make someone feel jittery or energized. Some people enjoy this feeling. But there is another reason why chilies show up on dinner plates the world over. Hot peppers actually make food safer to eat.

Before refrigerators, people living in most hot parts of the world developed a taste for spicy foods. Examples include hot Indian curries and fiery Mexican tamales. This preference emerged over time. The people who first added hot peppers to their recipes probably had no idea chilies could make their food safer; they just liked the stuff. But people who ate the spicy food tended to get sick less often. In time, these people would be more likely to raise healthy families.

This led to populations of hot-spice lovers. People who came from cold parts of the world tended to stick with blander recipes. The heat of a chili pepper is not actually a taste. When it does, it alerts the brain. The brain then responds by sending a jolt of pain back to the affected part of the body.

If a person accidentally places fingers on a hot stove, the pain makes him or her yank that hand back quickly. The result: a minor burn, not permanent skin damage. People, mice and other mammals feel the burn when they eat peppers. Birds do not. Why would peppers develop a way to keep mammals away but attract birds? Mammals have teeth that smash seeds, destroying them.

Birds swallow pepper seeds whole. Later, when birds poop, the intact seeds land in a new place. That lets the plant spread. Those with pepper allergies or stomach conditions do need to stay away from chilies. But most people can safely eat hot peppers.

Capsaicin does not actually damage the body in the same way that a hot stovetop will — at least not in small amounts.