> wrote:
> "Cheryl" wrote in message eb.com...
>
> On 10/5/2013 12:13 AM, Sqwertz wrote:
>
>> On Fri, 4 Oct 2013 21:05:22 -0700, Julie Bove wrote:
>>
>>> So my question now is... What would make them lose their heat? I bought
>>> some, making sure to get the ugly ones with the brown, crack looking >> stuff
>>> on the outside. Intended to put three in my pico de gallo but they were >> so
>>> hot, I feared that would be overkill. Wound up putting maybe 2.5 in and
>>> very few of the seeds. No real recipe. Just threw it all together.
>>> Tomatoes, white pepper, green pepper (proportionally more than the >> white),
>>> lots of cilantro, little salt and pepper and the juice of three limes. >> The
>>> stuff was so bitey hot as I first stirred it together that I couldn't eat
>>> it! I let it sit for about an hour then retasted. No heat. No heat at
>>> all! What happened? I put a goodly portion on my black beans but they >> were
>>> seasoned only with salt so the end result was boring. Amd finishing it >> all
>>> tonight but stirred some Jalapeno Tabasco in with the beans. Perfect!
>>
>> Nothing makes them lose their heat once prepared. You're
>> hallucinating.
>>
>> -sw
>>
> I'd say she burned her taste buds with the first taste.
>
> There are several points:
>
> 1. The active ingredient is a waxy oil called capsicum and it does not
> "burn the taste buds" it fools the nerve ending into thinking it is
> burning. Its an irritant.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsaic...health_effects
>
> 2. Secondly the white membrane if the fruit and the seeds next to the
> membrane contain the greatest concentration.
>
> 3. It can be diluted especially with oils or "oily" substances.
>
> 4. The primary effect of the "burning" sensation is for the brain to
> release endorphins, the "natural high" feel good stuff which is why
> people become chili heads and eventually want hotter and hotter chilies.
>
> Finally,
>
> http://www.med.nyu.edu/content?ChunkIID=21645
>
> Many people think that hot peppers cause inflammation to tissues, and
> that this is the source of the classic hot pepper sensation. However, hot
> peppers dont actually have any damaging effect; they merely simulate the
> sensations produced by damage. (Herbs like garlic , ginger , horseradish,
> and mustard actually can cause tissue damage.)
>
> Heres how it works: All hot peppers contain a substance called
> capsaicin. When applied to tissues, capsaicin causes release of a
> chemical called substance P. Substance P is ordinarily released when
> tissues are damaged; it is part of the system the body uses to detect
> injury. When hot peppers artificially release substance P, they trick the
> nervous system into thinking that an injury has occurred. The result: a
> sensation of burning pain.
>
> Dimitri

It can also be crystal. The stuff is very light, and can be picked up with
a slight draft. I went into one lab one day, where they had an enclosure
and scale for mixing stuff. I put my hand on the counter, then touched
face. It was burning. I said so, and someone explained the situation. They
were using pure stuff, I think white.
Somehow used with nerve experiments.

Greg