EATING spicy Mexican food really does hurt. Researchers from the University of California at San Francisco have discovered that the chemical capsaicin, which is responsible for the chilli pepper鈥檚 piquant taste, activates the same biochemical pathway as a mouthful of hot potato.
David Julius and his team report in this week鈥檚 Nature(vol 389, p 816) that they have identified and cloned the chemical receptor that capsaicin latches onto. The receptor is also activated during heat and pain responses.
In an accompanying article, David Clapham of Harvard Medical School says the discovery may lead to new drugs for pain relief. 鈥淎t the very least, Mexican restaurants might be able to provide antidotes for their jalape帽o-challenged clientele,鈥� he says.
Advertisement