Why the menthol in your mint gum makes your mouth feel like ice
Menthol creates a chilling sensation by tricking your body's temperature sensors into reacting as if they have been exposed to freezing cold, even when your mouth remains at room temperature.
Menthol molecules bind directly to TRPM8, a protein receptor in your sensory neurons that normally detects cold temperatures. When you chew mint gum, this compound lowers the threshold at which these receptors fire, causing them to send frantic cold signals to your brain.
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