If you've ever experienced the sharp, intense sensation when consuming horseradish, you're not alone. This root vegetable, with its distinct pungent flavor, is notorious for its ability to ignite your senses and make your eyes water. But have you ever wondered why horseradish irritates the throat and the nose?

At the heart of horseradish's throat and nasal irritation lies a compound called allyl isothiocyanate (AITC, depicted below). When horseradish is cut, grated, or chewed, enzymes present in the plant cell walls break down a precursor compound, sinigrin, into AITC. It is this AITC that gives horseradish its characteristic heat.


Once ingested, AITC interacts with a group of sensory receptors in our bodies known as transient receptor poten ...