Tom Holland Tried This Fruit To Offset The Spiciness On Hot Ones

Celebrity guests usually get to the point where they need to seriously curb the heat after diving into the super spicy wings on "Hot Ones." Some interviewees on the First We Feast talk show reach for a glass of milk for survival, while other adventurous eaters try to stop the pain using different foods. Actress Mila Kunis reached for a tub of ranch dressing to quell the heat when she appeared on "Hot Ones," but now it looks like her creativity might have been one-upped by actor Tom Holland, who sought relief from too much hot sauce by using a fruit you might not expect.

In a recent "Hot Ones" episode on YouTube, Holland only made it past the 17-minute mark before needing something to dull the fire of the spicy wings. When milk wouldn't do the trick, Holland went for something more surprising: a slice of lemon. Somewhat unexpectedly, this puckery fruit actually has the potential to curb spice-based pain. According to Houston Methodist, drinking something acidic balances the alkaline molecules of capsaicin, the molecule that makes peppers hot. Orange juice, limeade, and lemonade can do the trick, but Holland believed that sucking on a pure lemon would be just fine.

In Holland's case, sucking on a slice of lemon did nothing for his spice-based suffering. In the "Hot Ones" episode on YouTube, the actor tried the trick but announced with a disbelieving face, "That doesn't help!" before pacing in circles to walk off the pain. So why might lemonade help cool your mouth down more than pure lemon? The secret may lie in the drink's sugar content in addition to its acidity. According to NDTV Food, capsaicin gets absorbed by sweet things like sugar and honey, making sugar an excellent way to cut the heat when spicy food gets overbearing. In a similar vein, actor Simu Liu reached for a cold and sweet boba tea when he appeared on "Hot Ones" and needed to cool his mouth down (via YouTube). Lemonade, then, may have been just the thing for poor Tom Holland.

Not all drinks are helpful when it comes to seeking relief from spicy foods. If you find yourself in this predicament, make sure to steer clear of water and alcohol, per Houston Methodist. Water just spreads the capsaicin molecules around your mouth, making the heat even worse, while alcohol doesn't do anything for capsaicin, and its water content also spreads the heat.