A Wonderleaf question
Why does spicy food feel hot?
a real page from the book
Spicy food feels hot because capsaicin, a pepper chemical, switches on nerve sensors that usually warn your brain about real heat. Your mouth is not actually hotter; your body is reading the signal as danger. Capsaicin is the clever cause.
That is why a sip of water often disappoints. Capsaicin behaves more like oil than sugar, so milk or another fatty food can carry it away better. Meanwhile, your face may flush and sweat may appear, because your body is trying to cool a fire that is only a message.
Wonder words
- capsaicin
- receptors
- sensors
- endorphins
Try it out
Taste a tiny peppery crumb, then try water and milk afterward, noticing which calms the feeling faster.
Read the whole picture book
Watercolour scenes, straight answers, about three minutes cover to cover.
Open the picture bookKeep wondering
- Who invented pizza?
- How is chocolate made?
- How did people keep food fresh before refrigerators?
- Why do fruits taste sweeter when they are ripe?
- Why do we cook food?
- How does food turn into energy?
One more wonder: Why is space so dark?
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