For someone with a low tolerance level of spiciness, eating a spicy food is somewhat challenging, even though spicy foods have proven to be beneficial. Constant hot and burn sensation inside the mouth and sweat dripping, to stomachache and sometimes even dizziness are inevitable. Yet somehow the temptation from the food itself is something that we can’t avoid. Therefore, making us keep swallowing it though the hot and burn sensation. This is why most people resort to toning down the spiciness in their mouths after eating spicy foods.
Here are some tips to tone down spiciness after eating a deliciously cooked food that you cannot push away:
- Dairy or milk. NDTV Food placed dairy as the number one way-to-go for killing spiciness after eating. The reason is that dairy—like in cold milk or yogurt—have a protein called casein. This protein can help your mouth break the capsaicin (spicy compounds on chili) and give some relief from the burning sensation. Some also argue that milk is better than water to tone down spiciness, for it has the casein.
- Sugar or honey. As stated in the previous point, the burning sensation of chili comes from a chemical compound named capsaicin. Thus, the absolute way to ‘kill’ it by looking for another food or ingredient that can beat the compound. Sugar or honey has it. These two ingredients can absorb the oil-based capsaicin in the chili, which then will take out the spiciness from your tongue.
- Tomatoes and lemons. These two foods contain some high level of alkaline. This compound then is what is going to neutralize the acidity of the spice. You may take a pinch or some bites from these two ingredients to kill your spiciness. Oranges, pineapples, and lemon juice, according to NDTV Food, also have similar content as tomatoes and lemons.
- Avocados and bananas. If tomatoes and lemons can neutralize the spiciness by the acid contents, avocadoes and bananas’ silky texture can help taking out the capsaicin from your mouth easily.
- Peanut butter. This one ingredient is high in fat and oil that are good for removing the capsaicin that you’re sensing inside your mouth. Take a spoon of peanut butter and place it inside your mouth to help toning down spiciness.
Now that you’ve known the easiest and best way to wash out spiciness, you can indulge yourself more on the spicy food. Remember to not overeating so that your stomach will stay fine! (AP)
