Why do spicy food make your nose run

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Updated: July 20, 2015 14:45 IST

D. Janani, Chennai.

As a defence system against animals and birds destroying plants, certain chemicals are found in the plant’s tissues. Capsaicin also known as Allyl isothiocyanate is one of such chemicals found in chillies in very high quantity in the placental tissue that holds the seeds, as well as in lower concentrations in other parts of the fruit. Allyl isothiocyanate, in the form of a colourless oil is also found in plants like mustard and radishes. Like capsaicin, it serves as a defence for the plant against various animals. It also works as an antifungal agent.

These chemicals when eaten in good amount end up not only causing a “hot” sensation on our tongue, but also irritate the mucous membranes in our nose, causing them to become inflamed. This triggers those membranes to produce extra amounts of mucous as a defence mechanism to try to keep out whatever unwanted substance or particles are causing the irritation. Our eyes may also become watery when we eat very spicy foods. The capsaicin or allyl isothiocyanate can irritate the membranes in our eyes, causing the tear ducts to kick into overdrive trying to wash the irritant away. This can make our nose even more runny as some of the tears drain into your sinuses. Capsaicin and allyl isothiocyanate also irritate various tissues inside our body, such as the intestines. This causes our body to react by trying to flush the irritant out. This is why after eating spicy foods we sometimes have the dreaded “liquid fire” poop.

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From Rashmi Jain, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh

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Whether it's a few red pepper flakes on your avocado toast or a piping hot bowl of chili, spicy foods are full of flavor. And if you're someone who likes meals on the hotter side, you're in luck — spicy foods like hot peppers can help boost your metabolism and increase satiety, meaning you'll feel fuller, faster.

While some spice can burn your mouth, especially if you have a lower tolerance, there's something else you probably notice when you're enjoying your favorite hot foods: Your nose runs. Eating something spicy, especially in larger quantities, tends to clear your sinuses and leave you in desperate need to blow your nose. What gives?6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

It turns out, the ingredient that gives spicy food its fire-breathing sensation and metabolism-boosting benefits also triggers your nose to run like a faucet: Capsaicin.

"Capsaicin is the spice component of [chili] peppers," Erich P Voigt, MD, clinical associate professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center, says. "It can be easily ingested or even inhaled, inducing a reproducible cough, and provokes a secretory response from the human nasal mucosa," In other words, it makes your nose run.

Especially if you have cold or backed-up sinuses, eating something spicy can feel like you are breaking up your nasal congestion, giving your sinus passages some much-needed relief. There's a reason for that, too.

"Some spicy foods contain chemicals that have an effect on the nasal mucosa resulting in decongestion or rhinorrhea." Dr. Voigt says. "At times a person may feel as if they are breathing more clearly, and at other times the nose may run and become more congested. These chemicals may act on the trigeminal nerve resulting in reflex congestion and decongestion."

While some people may find sinus relief from downing a spicy dish, others could find the opposite to be true. But for the most part, loading up on hot peppers means you'll need to have some tissues (and plenty of hand sanitizer) on hand. If you're not a fan of spicy food, turmeric can also alleviate sneezing and nasal congestion, thanks to the presence of curcumin.

So capsaicin is good for not only revving up your metabolism and triggering satiety, it can also clear up a stuffy nose. Time to stock up on the hot sauce! And for more sure-fire ways to blast fat fast, don't miss these essential 55 Best Ways to Boost Your Metabolism.

Uh-oh. Judging from your reaction, that chunk of Indian food you just bit into wasn't some harmless vegetable , but a bhut jolokia, the world's hottest chili pepper, according to Guinness World Records.

Eyes watering? Mouth on fire? Nose gushing? Don't worry. There are ways to lessen, maybe even avoid, the next six to eight hours of relative agony, but first maybe you'd like to know why spicy food causes your nose to flood like the Brahmaputra River during monsoon season.

The distinctive spiciness of chili peppers derives from the chemical capsaicin, which causes a burning sensation when in contact with bodily tissues.

What causes the burn

Capsicum plants produce capsaicin in their fruits, which are chili peppers, to fend off hungry mammals. Its irritant qualities are so pronounced that pepper sprays made from it are more debilitating than tear gas, according to the European Parliament's Scientific and Technological Options Assessment report.

However, capsaicin is only the best-known of the spicy food irritants. Another, allyl isothiocyanate, is an oil that lends its kick to radishes, horseradish, wasabi and mustard. Manufacturers also use it as an ingredient in insecticides and fungicides.

What does all of this have to do with your runny nose? Capsaicin and allyl isothiocyanate irritate mucous membranes the linings protecting your lungs and various body openings and cavities from infectious agents such as fungi, bacteria and viruses.

Mucous membranes in your nose produce nasal mucus , better known to children everywhere as snot, which traps allergens, airborne dust and other undesirables, keeping them out of your respiratory system. The more irritated your nasal membranes become, the more mucus they produce as a defense.

What to do

If you're in over your head and looking for the best way to beat the heat, skip water and beer and reach for milk instead. Capsaicin has an oily quality that keeps it from dissolving in water, so even guzzling straight from the tap will do you no good, and beer contains too little alcohol to have more effect than water.

Milk, on the other hand, quenches capsaicin's fire quite effectively, according to research published in the journal Physiology & Behavior. It contains a protein called casein, which is a lipophilic ("fat-loving") molecule that hugs the capsaicin molecules and washes them away, much like detergents wash away grease.

According to that same research, a chemical reaction with sucrose (table sugar ) can also smother capsaicin's sizzle, so if there's no milk handy, try a 10 percent solution of sugar in a cold glass of water.

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