How it affects you: Whether we’re talking hot curry or spicy Buffalo chicken wings,
foods that give your taste buds a run for their money can also trigger
heartburn, particularly if you eat them close to bedtime.
What you can do: "Cooling foods, specifically dairy, can help to calm the
burn associated with spicy food in some people," says Palinski-Wade.
"Since milk itself can be hard on digestion, reach instead for
high-quality dairy rich in protein, like cottage cheese or a Greek yogurt that
contains GI-friendly probiotics to aid digestion."
I've always heard of people drinking milk after and while eating spicy foods but never knew why.
How
does it work: The spices in most of the
hot foods that we eat are oily, and, like your elementary school science
teacher taught you, oil and water don't mix. In this case, the water just rolls
over the oily spices. A chemical called capsaicin in the peppers binds to your
taste buds and feels like they are burning the heck out of your mouth. Water
may feel like it is diluting it but only momentarily, and sugary juices make it
worse by opening up your taste buds and allowing more capsaicin in. Milk
products, on the other hand, binds to capsaicin more tightly than capsaicin
binds to your taste buds. When you drink the milk or eat a dairy product the
capsaicin is attached and goes down with it.
No comments:
Post a Comment