ISTOCK
Have you ever bitten into a chilli and felt your mouth on fire, your face turning red, and beads of sweat forming on your forehead? Spicy food has this effect because of a natural compound called capsaicin, found in chilli peppers. Capsaicin tricks your body into thinking it is getting burned. It binds to certain receptors on your tongue and sends a message to your brain that says “hot!”.
Your brain reacts by trying to cool you down. One way it does this is by making you sweat. When sweat evaporates from your skin, it takes away some heat, which helps you feel cooler. That is why people in very hot countries, like India or Mexico, often eat spicy food – it can actually help them stay cooler in the long run.
Spicy food can also make your heart beat faster and your nose run. These are all part of your body’s attempt to deal with the “fake heat” created by capsaicin. Interestingly, capsaicin does not damage your tongue – it just confuses your nerve endings. So the next time you eat a fiery curry or a hot salsa, remember that your sweating is simply your body’s clever way of keeping cool!