The presentation is about effects of spicy foods and how can we neutralize them. I hope it will be educative and helpful to those who read it.

1. EFFECTS OF SPICY FOODS
When you eat spicy food, you might feel like
your mouth -- or the top of your head -- is about
to explode. But eating spicy food doesn't
generally cause any serious long-term effects.
Though much is suspected, relatively little is
known about the health effects of peppery
foods. In general, hot, spicy foods are
stimulants. They stimulate the circulation and
raise body temperature. If you are living in a hot
climate, the increase in body temperature can
make you feel cooler by diminishing the
difference between you and the surrounding air
and by inducing sweating, which cools the body
when the perspiration evaporates.
Peppery foods are also believed to stimulate the
appetite by setting off the flow of saliva and
gastric juices, a nutritionally important effect for
people in tropical areas where the oppressive

2. heat acts as an appetite suppressant. And,
anecdotally at least, they act as an overall
stimulant, producing a titillating, awakening
effect and increasing the acuity of the senses.
Peppers, especially the hot capsicum (chili)
peppers, produce a burning sensation on the skin
and mucous membranes, including the inside of
the mouth. For the uninitiated, a relatively mild
hot pepper can seem intolerably strong and truly
hot peppers may even cause blistering of the lips
and palate.
But people who eat hot foods all the time
apparently become conditioned to their oral
effects and do not find them painful. In fact,
foods traditionally eaten hot are regarded as
bland without the proper dose of pepper, much
as a person used to a lot of salt would find salt-
free foods tasteless.
Examples of images of spicy foods are:

3. For non-oral tissues, however, the burning
produced by capsaicin, the irritating chemical in
chili peppers, can be very painful. When
preparing peppers it is wise to wear rubber
gloves or hold the peppers in a paper towel or

4. plastic wrap. Fingers that have handled hot
peppers should be washed thoroughly and kept
out of the eyes and other sensitive tissues,
including those of the pelvic region. If you
should get capsaicin on sensitive tissues, flush
quickly with lots of water to reduce the
irritation.
Some of the negative effects are:
Gastrointestinal Effects
Since your gastrointestinal tract feels the heat
the most when you eat a spicy dish, you might
feel most concerned about the effect on your
mouth, stomach and intestines. But while your
mouth and stomach feel like they're burning
after eating hot peppers, they're actually not.
The capsaicin in chili peppers activates the
release of Substance P, a compound that
transmits pain and burning sensations. Some
spices, such as mustard and horseradish,

5. actually can damage tissue, according to NYU
Langone Medical Center. Spicy foods do not
cause heartburn or stomach ulcer but can
worsen both conditions. Water doesn't quench
the heat well if you feel the burn in your mouth
and stomach, since the oils in the pepper contain
the spicy components. Oils don't dissolve well
in water; try drinking milk instead. Smaller
peppers are generally hotter than the larger
varieties.

6. Skin Effects
Handling spicy peppers before eating them can
lead to Hunan hand syndrome, a contact
dermatitis reaction characterized by pain,
swelling and redness. The higher the Scoville
heat unit -- the measuring stick to compare the
heat of different peppers -- the more likely you
are to experience skin irritation or burning after
handing raw chili peppers. Wear gloves when
cutting chili peppers or wash your hands
thoroughly with warm soap and water after
handling. Use dish-washing liquid that contains
grease cutters, vegetable oil or milk to wash the
oil off your hand rather than water. Horseradish
can cause similar skin damage.
Eye Effects

7. If you touch your eyes after handling hot
peppers, you could experience swelling and pain
in and around the eye. Even the steam of
cooking chili peppers can cause a reaction in
some people. Use a wet towel over your eye to
help wash out the oil and see your doctor if you
develop blurred vision. Horseradish can also
cause eye irritation.
How to Neutralize Spicy Foods
1.
Add dairy to the food, if possible. Mix in a dash
of yogurt, sour cream or milk to the dish. If this
is not feasible, have a glass of milk with your
meal or a yogurt beverage. When mixed with
the capsaicin, the dairy produces a cooling
effect.
2.

8. Add lemon and lime to the food. The acids in
lemon and lime help counteract the spiciness by
neutralizing them. Pineapples have a similar
effect -- if you are still cooking the dish, add in
some finely chopped pineapple and cook them
until they dissolve in the dish.
3.
Add a little bit of sugar at a time. Sugar or
honey helps neutralize spiciness, particularly
when combined with citrus fruits like lemon or
lime. Stir and taste your dish after each spoonful
of sugar to make sure your dish doesn’t taste
like the dessert.
4.
Stir in a few tablespoons of peanut butter. This
will add a bit of flavor to your dish and help
dilute the heat. Warn anyone who may suffer
from a peanut allergy or nut intolerance that
may eat the dish.

9. 5.
Add more of the recipe's other ingredients to
diminish the spiciness. Add a spoonful of the
ingredients, minus the spices at a time until the
flavor is right. If you have leftovers, store the
remaining food in the fridge or freezer.