#MintThings #MintySensation #WaterMintReaction
Have you ever experienced that burning sensation in your mouth when you drink water after having something minty like gum, toothpaste, or cough drops? It’s like your mouth is on fire! 🔥 Let’s break down why this happens and why mint things and water seem to have such a fiery relationship.
##Why Does Mint Feel Like Hellfire When You Drink Water?
###1. The Science Behind Minty Sensation:
Mint contains a compound called menthol, which activates cold-sensitive receptors in our mouth. These receptors are responsible for detecting cold temperatures, giving us that refreshing and cooling sensation when we consume minty things.
###2. Mint and Water Interaction:
When you consume something minty, like gum or toothpaste, the menthol in it tricks your cold-sensitive receptors into thinking your mouth is cold. This is why you feel that cooling sensation. However, when you drink water right after consuming something minty, the cold water activates the same receptors but in a different way.
###3. Water’s Effect on Receptors:
Water is not cold in the same way mint is. It is actually closer to our body temperature. When you drink water after consuming something minty, the cold-sensitive receptors in your mouth get confused. They are expecting a cold sensation from the water but receive a conflicting signal from the menthol in the minty product. This confusion can result in that burning or stinging feeling in your mouth, making it seem like hellfire.
##Wrapping It Up:
So, there you have it! The next time you experience that fiery sensation in your mouth after consuming minty things and then drinking water, remember that it’s all about the conflicting signals your cold-sensitive receptors receive from the menthol in mint and the temperature of the water. It’s a fascinating interplay of science and sensation that can leave your taste buds tingling! 😱
Next time you reach for that minty gum or toothpaste, be prepared for a potential hot-and-cold dance in your mouth when you follow it up with a sip of water. And remember, it’s all in the magic of menthol and its effect on our taste receptors. Stay cool, mint lovers! 🌿💧
Similar to how capsaicin (pepper chemical) triggers the same nerves that detect heat, menthol (mint chemical) triggers the same nerves that detect ‘cold’. When this ‘fake’ trigger is combined with the real trigger (heat/cold), it is that much stronger.
Your brain knows something is happening but doesn’t know it’s just a candy, so it tells itself it’s on fire
Most mint flavoured things use menthol oil. Drinking water washes away the other stuff but doesn’t wash away the oil so your tongue receptors end up getting just the mint sensation.
Gum’s gotten mintier lately, have you noticed?
You have a number of temperature “setpoints”–70F is a nice day. 100F is obnoxiously hot. 40F is too cold without a sweater.
You similarly have a setpoint in your mouth–water below a certain temperature is cold. Water above a certain temperature is hot.
The active chemicals in mint, menthol, temporarily shift those setpoints down by a number of degrees. Instead of 40F being cold, it becomes chilly, and instead of 70F being nice, it becomes a bit toasty. The temperature is the same, but your perception of it changes.