Ate too many habaneros and now I’m paying for it.
In: Biology
Capsaicin is created by plants to try and stop mammals from eating the seeds. Capsaicinoids bind to the TRPV1 receptor in mammals to simulate the body’s response to overheating, resulting in sweating and other cooling attempts. However because birds don’t have the TRPV1 protein they are generally immune from the effects of capsaicin. – https://youtu.be/DbluR1DhTSQ
While most of the capsaicin from chillies and other hot foods is absorbed in your body and then metabolized by the liver, there’s still some 5-10% which isn’t absorbed and makes its way all the way through your digestive system.
Most people’s rectum is fairly delicate, thin skinned and sensitive while also not having the layer of mucous that protects the bowels. That 5-10% left over is more than enough for it to be noticeable.
The chemical capsaicin is located in the seeds of foods and that is a natural irritant. It tricks your brain to being in pain. It depends on the person how much they can take. I ate a ghost pepper curry and was fine.
Our anus has taste receptors like many other places in the body. Taste receptors are one type of receptors our body uses to measure variois chemical content. We have taste receptors around our heart, stomach, testicle and many other places. These are NOT the same as taste buds, but some wise guy on the internet found out we have testicular taste receptors and thought he could dip his balls in soy sauce. DOESN’T WORK (or at least not without being psychosomatic). Taste receptors are very important for signaling to your brain that the proper amounts of various compounds are present in the parts of the body they need to be present it. You have heat receptors in your anus, which are the same receptors that occur in your eyes, mouth and vagina.
If you think about it, you don’t sense the heat of a pepper that is on your skin, right? That’s because our skin doesn’t have receptors that can sense it. But you sure as hell will feel it when it gets in your eye. Anyway, to summarize we only sense external stimuli when we have the receptors to sense them.
Latest Answers