Which drinks reduced mouth burning the most after spicy tomato juice?

Details

Researchers tested drinks after tomato juice containing capsaicin, the substance that causes chili's burning sensation. Participants drank 30 mL of spicy tomato juice and rated the burning immediately after swallowing, then every 10 seconds for two minutes. Across eight trials, they either had no follow-up drink or drank 40 mL of a test beverage.

The beverages were whole milk, skim milk, sparkling water, Cherry Kool-Aid, non-alcoholic beer, cola, and water. Burning faded even without a follow-up drink, but all tested beverages significantly reduced it. Comparing the burning ratings across the full observation period, researchers found the largest reductions with whole milk, skim milk, and Kool-Aid.

The authors favored milk for relief and suggested that its protein might matter more than its fat, since both whole and skim milk performed well. That explanation remains a hypothesis; the study did not determine the mechanism. The leading drinks were not established to be equally effective, and the findings concern short-term, self-reported burning after this particular spicy tomato juice—not every spicy food.