What is the chemical reaction that causes “heat” when eating a pepper?
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Capsaicin. It’s a chemical that highjacks the heat receptors in your mouth/esophagus. It’s not a “chemical reaction” like “2H2+O2->2H2O” is, it’s our sense of heat being mistakenly activated.
The chemical reaction is a nerve reaction, and the not LI5 [wiki page is about TRPV1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRPV1). It is a chemical in nerves that is responsible for detecting “Yes, that’s hot” and the way the two chemicals (TRPV1 and capsaicin, the pepper chemical) interact triggers that “Yes, that’s hot” reaction even when it’s not actually high temperatures.
It’s not really a chemical reaction that releases heat. Rather the capsaicin in pepper is an irritant. In repsonse the body duakites blood vessels in the mouth and nose making our mouth and nose feel hotter. Just like how a fresh bruise or cut will feel slightly hot to the touch and swell. Essentially the spicy flavor is a “pain” reaction.
It is not a chemical reaction. It is a specific chemical. That compound is called capsaicin. It is evolved by the plant primarily to discourage mammals from eating them, thus leaving them for more birds to eat them (birds cannot taste capsaicin) which in turn allows the seeds to be dispersed over a larger area. The way this happens is that it causes heat receptors in your mouth to activate causing pain and discomfort.
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