After eating chillies, we feel spicy due to capsaicin, a chemical found in chilli peppers.
Capsaicin causes spiciness by attaching to the heat-activated TRPV1 receptor in the tongue.
Its natural defence mechanism prevents animals or humans from eating chilli peppers and forcing the animal or humans to spit out the pepper.
Despite the chilli pepper's lack of heat, capsaicin binds to TRPV1, causing our brains to feel hot and our mouths to burn.
Humans have TRPV1 receptors in their mouths, but due to their evolutionary tolerance for heat and spice, are less susceptible to capsaicin than animal
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