If you eat something that is too "hot", according to researchers you should choose milk to reduce the burn. Chili pepper extract, capsaicin is considered an irritant because it causes warming and burning sensations.
The researchers looked at five drinks and needed 72 people – 42 women and 30 men. Participants drank a spicy Bloody Mary mix, which contained capsaicin. Immediately after drinking they assessed the initial burn.
Then, in successive separate trials, they drank purified water, cola, Kool-Aid, seltzer water, non-alcoholic beer, skim milk, and cherry-flavored whole milk. Participants continued to rate the burn every 10 seconds for two minutes. There were eight trials. Seven included one of the test drinks and one trial did not include a test drink.
The initial burn of the spicy Bloody Mary mix was averaged below "strong" but above "moderate" by participants and continued to deteriorate to an average just above "weak" over the two minutes of testing. All drinks significantly reduced the burn of the mix, but the greatest reductions in burn were observed for whole milk, skim milk and Kool-Aid.
After completing all the trials, the participants answered two questions:“How often do you consume spicy foods?” and “Do you like spicy food?” Researchers had hoped for a link between participants' perception of capsaicin burn and their exposure to spicy foods. But such a relationship did not arise from the study.
