Chemistry For Your Life Ask a Chemist: Why do carrots cause hiccups? (and other questions)
Jan 16, 2025
They explore why eating carrots can trigger hiccups and what digestive causes might be involved. They discuss benzene as a dangerous contaminant in personal-care products. They explain how catalysts speed reactions and give real examples. They question claims about hydrogen-rich water bottles and examine poinsettia pigments as pH and spoilage indicators.
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Carrot Hiccups Likely From Rapid Stomach Distention
- Hiccups are diaphragm spasms often triggered by rapid stomach distention rather than specific foods.
- Melissa cites a peer-reviewed idea that hiccups may be an evolved burp reflex to expel excess air, especially in infants who ingest air while feeding.
Benzene Is Harmful Even If Rings Appear Elsewhere
- Benzene itself is a carcinogen distinct from benign benzene-containing rings in other molecules.
- Melissa recommends episode 102 for deeper context on how benzene can appear in consumer products like dry shampoo.
Catalyst Activity Depends On Reaction Mechanism
- A catalyst lowers activation energy and is regenerated, but whether a substance catalyzes a reaction depends on that reaction's mechanism.
- Melissa explains catalysts act by transiently interacting (e.g., acids/bases or metals) to make electron movement easier for bond-making/breaking.