Why does it help to eat bread and/or drink milk after eating spicy food?
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Milk has something in it that can wash away the spicy contents. I haven’t heard anything about the bread thing though
Milk is alkaline (or basic), which means it neutralizes the acids in the spice.
Bread tends to suck up other stuff in the stomach, taking the spice away from the stomach walls so it is less irritating.
Milk contains casein, a fat-loving substance that essentially has a detergent effect
on the capsaicin, just like soap has on grease. But it has to be mammal’s milk – coconut milk does not contain casein.
Milk works for three reasons:
* It is a liquid, so it washes away some of the spicy material.
* It has a lot of suspended fat, which coats your mouth surfaces and protects them to a small extent. Capsaicin is also fat-soluble, so this helps dissolve it.
* Casein, a family of proteins found in milk, tends to bind to capsaicin, further increasing its ability to wash lingering capsaicin away.
I’ve never heard of the bread thing. I suppose gluten might act the same way casein does? But I’ve never heard anything to substantiate that.
I have also never heard of bread reducing spicyness before, but I do know that whole grain breads help reduce the symptoms of acid reflux.
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