lemon eating contest

[rakuenso]

I seem to have done something pretty stupid by making a bet with a friend with a lemon eating contest...

 

but anyways, is there a buffer or base I could coat my tongue/teeth that's relatively benign to reduce the acidity of lemons? Lemons are 5% Citric Acid with a pH of around 2-3.. problem with citric acid is that dissociates 3 times.. I'm not sure how this will affect the neutralization reactions if i'm going to add a base to it

[RyanJ]

I seem to have done something pretty stupid by making a bet with a friend with a lemon eating contest...

 

but anyways' date=' is there a buffer or base I could coat my tongue/teeth that's relatively benign to reduce the acidity of lemons? Lemons are 5% Citric Acid with a pH of around 2-3.. problem with citric acid is that dissociates 3 times.. I'm not sure how this will affect the neutralization reactions if i'm going to add a base to it[/quote']

 

Sodium Bicarbonate, chalk even could work... you'd need to keep replacing it though.

 

You should just eat a realy hot curry to numb your taste buds before you try - that should do the trick

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[YT2095]

take plenty of Zantak and eat lots of Protein beforehand, for your mouth, an Oil coating will help a little and do NOT eat Chili or Curry before it!

 

the zantaks stops your own production of stomach acids and the protein will secrete Bile (basic) from the liver as a digestion function, that will also help neautralise the acid, taking Bicarb will only serve to make you Sick with CO2 buildup, you`de be much better off with a direct Hydroxide such as calcium or Magnesium or even better Aluminium.

[Darkblade48]

I wouldn't recommend eating the bicarb, your friend will know you're cheating via all the fizzing and foaming going on in your mouth

 

As for eating direct hydroxide YT, I hope that was a joke

[RyanJ]

As for eating direct hydroxide YT' date=' I hope that was a joke [/quote']

 

Well, if its wasn't then you will not have to worry about it - your tongue will be hearing more then enough to cover it up

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[YT2095]

As for eating direct hydroxide YT' date=' I hope that was a joke [/quote']

 

nope, it was no joke at all, in fact Alu hydroxide is fantastic as an anti-acid medicine!

Calcium`s ok but not ideal, Mg`s a little better but Alu rocks

[drochaid]

I have a wacky suggestion .. honour the bet and see how many lemons you can eat.

[YT2095]

well actualy, it`s not a crazy idea at all.

you make a bet, you see it through!

 

but seriously consider having an antidote Hydroxide for afterwards, for BOTH of you!

 

Aludrox , would be ideal, or even milk of magnesia.

[Phi for All]

I have a wacky suggestion .. honour the bet and see how many lemons you can eat.

How is it NOT honoring the bet if he takes precautions to minimize his discomfort? As long as he actually eats the lemons what difference does it make what he does to prepare for it?

[YT2095]

I`m gathering that NON of this was in the original outlay of the bet though, and so it would preclude what would be effectively known as, Cheating.

[The Peon]

Isn't it dangerous to eat so many lemons? I heard an urban legend (I'm sure that's all it was but perhaps an element of truth is in it) that if you eat so many lemons it will kill you.

[insane_alien]

if you eat enough of anything it'll kill you. don't see why lemons should be different.

[YT2095]

Limes are more likely to hurt you in excess than a lemon.

[The Peon]

if you eat enough of anything it'll kill you. don't see why lemons should be different.

 

Yes true, of course. But what I meant was that lemons could kill you with just what would seem a small amount... I mean water can kill you if you drink 4-5 gallons in a short period of time. But imagine if lemons could kill you just by eating, say, 10 of them. That doesnt seem alot and is quite possible. I was just wondering how many lemons the average joe could eat before it became toxic.

[xeluc]

Citric Acid: ORL-RAT LD50 11700 mg kg-1

 

From a trusty msds

 

Of course there are other compounds,, like Vitamin C.. But you can handle a lot of that...

[The Peon]

Citric Acid: ORL-RAT LD50 11700 mg kg-1

 

From a trusty msds

 

 

So how many lemons is that?

[Phi for All]

I tried looking up the world record and couldn't find it, but every reference I saw for lemon-eating contests were for a certain number of lemons in the shortest time (usually three lemons). Best play it safe.

[rakuenso]

quick Q..

 

whats the pKa of 5% citric acid?

 

btw, the bet is 25 lemons.. each

 

for each lemon you eat, you get to drink one less shot of vodka...

 

so if i eat 3 lemons, i only have to drink 22 shots...

[Thomas Wood]

Good luck!

[RyanJ]

whats the pKa of 5% citric acid?

 

The pKa of lactic acid is 3.88, and the 3 pKa's of citric acid are 3.14, 4.77, and 6.39. Of the pH of 1% aqueous solutions of the 3 pectin types, only amidated LM (pH 4.7) has a potential of pH reduction with these weak acidic solutions. Neither LM (pH 2.9) nor HM (pH 3.4) pectin would be affected at these pH values. This is confirmed both with the cloud point test and the extrusion experiments. Stronger acids could possibly be used to achieve improvements for LM and HM pectins as well.

 

Thats from here

 

Good luck and glad its you not me

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[gcol]

A common measure of toxicity is the LD50 test, the amount of a substance, related to body mass that will statistically kill 50% of the subjects, usually rats.

The figures for citric acid are:

 

11700 mg kg-1 is the ld50 for rats. oral ingestion

 

5040 mg kg-1 is the ld50 for mice. "" ""

 

Extrapolate the result for your bodymass, decide if you are a rat or a mouse, guess how lucky you are, and suck away on that lemon

[H2SO4]

ID imagine if you coated you mouth with a base, then that would suck far worse then the sourness of lemons.

 

Anyway, is it true that the ciric acid in lemons eats the enamel on your teeth, or destroys other chemicals in your teeth? My mom told me this years ago and she knows nothing of chemistry. Ive just always thought it might be plausible.

[akcapr]

ya it is possible which is why pop and sugar is bad for ur teeth

[KFC]

If you eat a Habanero Pepper it will kill your taste buds, then you will not sense the lemons. Eat one about two days before the lemon eating contest.

 

Warning eating a Habanero Pepper will kill your taste buds for about seven days after that they will grow back!

[akcapr]

one time i had hot sauce like 3 drops it was liek called 10000 times stronger than tobasco or sometin and it freaking burned like a mother ****** made my stomach hurt so bad n my mouth was like on fire that i drank water from a freakin pool