Wahoo!  It’s the final week of our udderly fantastic milk miniseries.  And like I said in the first week, everything circles back to spice (yes, I think we all know I am spice crazy by now)

The question to be answered and examined this week, is why does milk calm down spice? It is primarily because of a protein called casein, which acts like a detergent and binds to capsaicin—the compound in chili peppers that causes the burning sensation.

Capsaicin is non-polar, meaning it doesn’t dissolve well in water (which is why drinking water doesn’t help much). Casein, found in milk, is also non-polar and can surround and bind to capsaicin molecules, effectively washing them away from the receptors in your mouth. The fat in milk also helps dissolve capsaicin, so whole milk is more effective than skim milk.

Have no fear though other dairy products like yogurt, sour cream, or ice cream also work well due to their fat and casein content. So, you don’t need just milk to calm down spice.

Overall, milk is effective at calming down spice because of the casein protein and fat content that binds to and dissolve capsaicin, providing relief from the burning sensation.