Bloody Nose Thanks to Superhot Sauce

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Q:  Hey Dave,

My good friend brought home some Dave’s Insanity Sauce, and thought it would be good to bring it to the family BBQ.  He boasted how hot it was and his mother-in-law, thinking it couldn’t be that bad, soaked an onion ring in it, popped it into her mouth, and almost immediately got a bloody nose (of course followed by, “Oh *@!%^ this stuff is hot!”).  Why?

Keepin’ it hot,

Nathan J.

 

A:  Hello Nathan:

Capsaicin, the active ingredient in chiles and hot sauces, has long been thought to increase circulation.  In this case, it may have increased it too much and caused the capillaries in her nostrils to burst.  This is one of the drawbacks of the superhot sauces.

–Dave

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