How to Cool Your Tongue After Eating Spicy Food

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: August 24, 2021 References

It can be both painful and annoying to eat something too spicy and not be able to get rid of that burning sensation. Once you’ve eaten the spicy food, there’s no way to go back, but there are some ways you can fix the pain quickly in the aftermath. To cool your tongue, consume the proper drinks and foods, such as those that contain dairy or high amounts of fat and oil.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Cooling with Drinks

1
Drink a glass of milk. Drinking milk is extremely effective in relieving the burn of spicy foods. It works so well because it contains casein, which is a family of proteins found in milk. Casein breaks down the bonds that capsaicin, the active component that causes the burning sensation, forms on your nerve receptors.^{[1]
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2
Drink an acidic juice. You can also cool your tongue with a big swig of tomato, orange, or lemon juice. These juices can have a neutralizing effect on the pH of the spicy food you’re eating, which will cause relief.^{[2]
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3
Take a shot. Capsaicin can be dissolved by alcohol, but only if the alcohol has a significantly high proof. If you’re of legal drinking age, take a shot of liquor such as tequila, rum, or vodka to help cool off your burning tongue.
- Don’t try to soothe the burning by drinking beer. Beer isn’t effective because it contains too much water and not enough alcohol.^{[3]
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4
Steer clear of water. Though a cool glass of ice water seems like a solid fix for soothing a mouth that feels like it’s on fire, it can actually make the burning worse. Capsaicin is a natural oil, and oil and water don’t mix. Because of this, water won’t change how the capsaicin affects your membranes. The water may even cause you more pain and discomfort by spreading the capsaicin.^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Cooling with Foods

1
Sprinkle sugar or drizzle honey onto your tongue. Sugar, whether in a refined form or a natural form, like honey, can help neutralize spiciness. After you’ve eaten something spicy, sprinkle enough sugar or drizzle enough honey to cover your tongue so that the capsaicin can be absorbed. This will also put a nice, sweet taste in your mouth.^{[5]
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Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
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2
Eat some yogurt or sour cream. The fat and oil in all dairy products, not just milk, can work well when trying to relieve a burning tongue. Eat a bit of yogurt or sour cream so that the capsaicin can be dissolved, much like dish soap dissolves grease on your dirty dishes.
- Opt for full-fat yogurt and sour cream for the best results.^{[6]
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3
Swallow some olive oil. While it might taste a little gross on its own, oil has the perfect combination of fat and oil for countering the burning sensation caused by spicy food.^{[7]
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Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source} Hold your nose to minimize the taste and pour a little on your tongue.
- If you can’t stand the taste of the oil, peanut butter has similar qualities and should work as a good substitute.^{[8]
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4
Munch on something starchy. Starches, such as bread, chips, crackers, potatoes, rice, or pasta, can all act as a barrier between your mouth and the capsaicin in the spicy food you’re eating, which will lessen the burn. These foods can also absorb some of the capsaicin.^{[9]
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5
Eat a piece of milk chocolate. The high fat content in milk chocolate makes it another good solution for cooling off your mouth. Next time you eat something too hot, grab a candy bar to remove some of the capsaicin from your taste buds.
- Dark chocolate has less fat, so it’s less effective.^{[10]
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