What common household drink will remove burning from mouth?

Question

Possible Duplicate:
Cure for burns from hot peppers / capsicum oil?

Ya, just ate something spicy and my mouth is on fire. I tried drinking water and that didn't help. I also tried orange juice, and that didn't help.

Any ideas?

I'm marking this as a duplicate because even though the linked question was originally about hands, it already answers the follow-up questions about mouth burning, including a link to the popular Mythbusters episode where they confirmed the best answer to be whole milk (or something with even more fat, like cream). — Aaronut, Jan 28 '12 at 14:06
ime, drinks don't work as well as a spoonful of sour cream or a square of (mild) cheese like cheddar — zanlok, Jan 28 '12 at 17:16

score 10 · Accepted Answer · answered Jan 28 '12 at 01:22

You need something with fat or alcohol. The burning is caused by capsaicin, a molecule found in peppers, which is not water-soluble. If you go for the alcohol, you'll need something with higher percentage, not a beer, and it might result in more burning. It is easier to drink whole milk, especially because you might need lots of the drink if it is too strong.

You option beside a drink is eating bread. You want a soft, fluffy bread like a baguette. If you chew it for a longer time, it will absorb some of the capsaicin covering the inside of your mouth, like a sponge cleaning a pot. For best results, you can combine: bread first, milk afterwards.

It's an abundant protein in milk, casein, that makes it effective in removing capsaicin: http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/features/capsaicin.shtml — Wayfaring Stranger, Jan 28 '12 at 03:13

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 28 '12 at 08:22

one of the best things is not a drink but to eat a spoon of sugar. This worked a treat with the kids when they tried to drink from the tabasco sauce.

Slices of tomato and cucumber with yoghurt are the traditional solutions.

I suggest spending the day testing the various solutions, and report back. i'll vote for that answer!

What common household drink will remove burning from mouth?

2 Answers2