Why does spicy food make our nose run?

When we devour spicy nutrient containing chillies, a substance successful them called capsaicin binds to receptors connected the nervus endings successful our rima and nose. These receptors enactment similar sensors. When a circumstantial molecule attaches to them, they nonstop a awesome that triggers a response.

Capsaicin attaches to receptors that usually respond to existent heat. However, adjacent erstwhile the nutrient isn’t hot, the nerves respond arsenic if it was, creating a mendacious alarm. This causes the nasal lining to initiate a protective process called neurogenic inflammation. 

As portion of this process, the nerves merchandise signalling molecules that unbend adjacent humor vessels. This boosts humor travel and encourages the mucus-producing glands successful the chemoreceptor to merchandise watery mucus, which makes our chemoreceptor run. The mucus helps to dilute, cool, and lavation distant the irritant.

Capsaicin is oily and doesn’t dissolve successful water, which is wherefore drinking h2o does small to help. Milk works amended due to the fact that it contains casein, a macromolecule that wraps astir oily molecules similar capsaicin and helps lavation them away. Sugar besides interacts with capsaicin and reduces its quality to cling to nervus receptors.

S.P. Kirtik Raj is interning with The Hindu.