Home  >  What in the World  >  Feel the burn: Why does spicy food hurt so much?
What in the World
Feel the burn: Why does spicy food hurt so much?
What in the World
Jun 14, 2024

South Korea’s Buldak noodles are super spicy - and Denmark’s food regulator has now recalled some types of them, saying they could cause "acute poisoning". The company behind the noodles says there are no quality issues. They’re used in extreme food challenges that often go viral online. So we decided to try them ourselves and they were FIERY!

The BBC’s Health and Science Correspondent, James Gallagher, explains why spicy food can make us feel all hot and bothered, how to combat the side effects, and takes us through some common myths about spice.

And one of our BBC colleagues, Akwasi Sarpong, tells us how a tiny bit of extremely hot sauce caused some drama at work.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams with Benita Barden Producer: Emily Horler Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

More Episodes
Feb 5, 2025
USAID: Can the world live without it?

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is under fire. It is the world’s biggest donor and spends billions of dollars a year, funding programmes around the world, like fighting malaria in Bangladesh, clearing unexploded landmines in Cambodia and Laos and providing medical supplies in Sudan.

But President Trump says it is run by “radical lunatics” and he and billionaire Elon Musk, who’s got the job of trying to slash American government spending, want to shut it down. They have paused almost all international spending for 90 days and issued “stop work” orders to their staff. BBC journalist Nathalia Jimenez tells us what USAID does - and why the Trump administration wants to close it.

A large proportion of USAID funding goes towards healthcare and HIV medication in sub-Saharan Africa. Makuochi Okafor, the BBC’s Africa Health correspondent tells us what impact closing USAID could have in this region.

Anselm Gibbs, a BBC reporter based in Trinidad and Tobago, tells us about programmes USAID funds in the Caribbean. And Hilde Deman from Search for Common Ground, an international NGO that uses USAID funding in countries affected by violent conflict, talks about the impact to their work in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Benita Barden and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Rosanna La Falce


13min 08sec




Feel the burn: Why does spicy food hurt so much?

--:--
--:--