Hat tip to Kelvin Slush for pointing us to Pat’s Papers, where the NY1 broadcaster tells us how to avoid brain freeze.
First he directs us to a Minneapolis Star-Tribune article that explains the scientific reasoning behind the phenomenon that makes it feel like someone is stabbing you in the forehead.
Basically when something cold (ice cream or slush) touches something warm (the roof of your mouth), your blood vessels constrict. The blood vessels then dilate in an attempt to warm up, which causes pain the same way a migraine does.
It usually starts 10 seconds after exposure to the cold substance and lasts about 30 seconds, although some people have pain for more than a minute.
But how do you get rid of it?
They say one way is to try warming up the roof of your mouth with the underside of your tongue, which is warmer than the top (because it hasn’t been exposed to ice cream, natch).
Another way is to drink a warm beverage.
Grabbing your forehead or the bridge of the nose to stop the pain is futile.
The best way to avoid brain freeze is to eat ice cream slowly so your palate doesn’t get too cold in the first place. It also will make your dessert last longer…that is, if it isn’t already melting too quickly!
