Chilli—too hot to handle?

Chilli has been a core culinary ingredient around the world for centuries, and is eaten by a quarter of the world's population every day. Its active ingredient, the naturally occurring phytochemical capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide), is responsible for the burning sensation that occurs in any tissue with which it comes into contact. However, the heat in chillies comes from several related compounds known as capsaicinoids, and far more potent analogues of capsaicin, such as resiniferatoxin, are found in nature. Capsaicin has attracted the interest of researchers as a potential chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agent. Although widely consumed, capsaicin has a long and convoluted history, and debate continues about whether chilli consumption is entirely safe.