If your mouth is feeling the burn from eating spicy foods (like peppers), dairy products are your fastest way to put out the fire. A glass of milk is your best option, but yogurt, ice cream, sour cream, butter or cheese can also help cool things down and reduce the pain. This works because the protein found in these dairy products (called casein) helps break the bonds of the active component in the spiciest foods (capsaicin) forms on your nerve receptors, providing almost instant relief.