Tingly lips? Why Sichuan peppers cause odd sensation

Wednesday, September 11, 2013 - 15:30 in Psychology & Sociology

Most people who have eaten spicy Chinese food know the distinctive tingly numbness caused by Sichuan peppers.Now research, detailedin the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, explains why Sichuan peppers cause those tingles — they activate sensors in the lips that respond to light touch.

Read the whole article on MSNBC: Science

More from MSNBC: Science

Learn more about

Latest Science Newsletter

Get the latest and most popular science news articles of the week in your Inbox! It's free!

Check out our next project, Biology.Net