Food for thought: Do hot chillies really hurt our mouths?

The anticipation of placing thin strips of red chilli pepper into one's mouth is often unbearable. But does it really hurt?

Chilli's pungency is a genetic factor, and is not associated with its colour or size. As the chilli is cut, droplets of volatile oil produce a characteristic aroma. When strips are placed in the mouth, they start to stimulate saliva flow and gastric juices, which may aggravate stomach ulcers. The pain felt in the mouth is produced by a group of compounds, collectively known as capsaicinoids. They do not actually burn your mouth, though capsaicin, one of these compounds, is one of the most pungent known substances - it can be detected at dilutions of one in 15 to 17 million. Repeated exposure to this compound leads to taste desensitisation, while taste threshold increases dramatically. The burning sensation chillies produce is often used for research into nerve cells.