Certain Animals Tolerate Spicy Foods Better Than Others-Forward. Dear friends,
The above article appeared in theChrome opening page today. Manyof you might have read it also. Somehow the very interesting article Ithought of forwarding to groups. Sometimes such articles disappear after a fewhours or in a day also. Gopalakrishnan 17-11-2024. Birds are one type of animal thathave adapted to not feel the effects of spicy foods that humans often do. By Amiah TaylorNov 13, 2024 7:30 PM When it comes to naturally occurringspicy foods, some animals are more fit than others to enjoy them. Humans and other mammalsaren't so well equipped to handle those foods. Take the chilli pepper,for example. While it's a food rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidantproperties and serves as an excellent source of vitamin C, it containscapsaicin — a chemical that makes peppers taste spicy and interacts with thenerve receptor known as TRPV1. While some humans may classify the tingling andburning associated with capsaicin as pleasant, it is a fierce deterrent foranimals. The Environmental Protection Agency actually classifies capsaicin as a biochemicalpesticide and animal repellent. However, not every animal shies awayfrom spicy foods. Some can handle the heat without breaking a sweat. Natural Aversions to Spice Mammals, including humans androdents, have pain receptors that can be activated by injury, acid, heat, andthe phytochemical capsaicin. Capsaicin can be lethal to rats and mice, andsymptoms of acute oral toxicity can include a staggering gait, skin redness,and cyanosis — blue lips, nail beds, and skin due to low oxygen levels. “Squirrels and mice show a natural aversion tospicy foods,” says Joanna Herberger, a veterinarian at Pet Sprint. “We canattribute this behaviour to an evolutionary response to avoid potentiallyharmful plants.” But evolution is also the culprit forthe tree shrew's remarkable insensitivity to capsaicin. Tree shrews have a gene mutation that bolsters theirtolerance towards spicy foods, an adaptation that gives them a distinctadvantage to consuming plants in their habitat, according to Luqman Javed, anin-house veterinarian for PangoVet. : How Do We Tolerate Spicy Food? Birds Help Spicy Plants Grow Other animals that can withstand theheat include birds. African gray parrots, chickens, songbirds, and other avianspecies have capsaicin-immunepain receptors that negate the heat-inducing unpleasantness associatedwith peppers. Incidentally, this resistance to the pain-producing qualities ofcapsaicin is key to the fertilization of spicy plants, according to Javed. “Many birds serve important roles as seeddispersers,” Javed says. “Being able to withstand the undesirable flavour ofthe peppers [produced by the capsaicin in spicy plants] would allow birds toconsume these seeds, fly far away, and then disperse them in their droppings.” Chilli peppers may have evolved thisway because birds are better at dispersing their seeds than mammals. Interestingly enough, because ofthe adaptive way TRPV1 receptors work in birds, capsaicin may register as apleasant vanilla flavour that incentivizes seed dispersion, according tothe European Journal of Pharmacology. : Eating spicy food might help you live longer. Animals That Should Avoid Spice Most pets, including dogs, cats, andrabbits, should not eat spicy foods, but this rule of thumb also applies to farm animals like cows.If an animal has taste receptors for capsaicin, it will likely experiencediscomfort after ingesting heat-inducing foods like chili peppers andjalapeños. Dogs can experience short-term gastrointestinal distress from spicy foods, like flatulence, and moredistressing symptoms, like vomiting and diarrhea. Spicy foods like jalapeñopeppers also pose a threatto cats because they can irritate their nose and mouth, and the oils cansting the eyes. While some pet owners feed theirrabbits chilis, it is generally inadvisable due to the potential for gastricupset. However, under the category of non-leafy greens — which compose 25percent of a rabbit's diet — banana peppers and green bell peppers areconsidered safe foods. “While most pets should not be fed spicy foodsat all, there are some mild spices that can be tolerated in very small amountsand under careful supervision,” says Bethany Hsia, mobile veterinarian and aco-founder of CodaPet. “Thosemild spices include cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric.” Article Sources Our writers at Discovermagazine.comuse peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and oureditors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review thesources used below for this article: Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health. Glut-1 explains the evolutionaryadvantage of the loss of endogenous vitamin C-synthesis: The electron transferhypothesis Molecules. Antioxidant, Anti-Obesity, Nutritional and Other BeneficialEffects of Different Chili Pepper: A Review National Pesticide Information Center. Capsaicin Stanford Medicine. Chicken Inspired Pain Solution Cell. Molecular Basis for Species-Specific Sensitivity to “Hot” ChiliPeppers In-house veterinarian for PangoVet. Luqman Javed European Journal of Pharmacology. TRPV1 and the gut: from a tastyreceptor for a painful vanilloid to a key player in hyperalgesia PNAS. The activation mechanism of rat vanilloid receptor 1 by capsaicininvolves the pore domain and differs from the activation by either acid or heat Niigata University School of Medicine. The Journal of ToxicologicalSciences. Acute oral toxicity of capsaicin in mice and rats Ohio State University. Can eating spicy foods harm your health? Masterclass. Can Dogs Eat Spicy Food? 3 Side Effects for Dogs Catster. Can Cats Eat Jalapeños? Vet-Reviewed Facts & FAQ Daily Mail. The rabbit that LOVES spicy food: Pet bunny eats a dozenchilli peppers a day - and prefers the hotter ones Rabbit.org. Best Vegetables for Rabbits: A Healthy Diet Guide Mobile veterinarian and a co-founder of CodaPet. Bethany Hsia -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/512603387.458265.1731830698854%40mail.yahoo.com.
