Menthol Tricks Nerves Into Cold

The reason mint tastes cold is that menthol activates a protein called TRPM8 in your nerve cells that normally respond to cold, and it is the only food that does so. By comparison, capsaicin in chili peppers activates a different protein, VR1, that senses heat, so menthol tricks your nervous system into feeling icy coolness, while capsaicin makes your mouth feel burning.

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