Looking at pictures of curry can act as a painkiller.
Curry is an effective painkiller
Chinese scientists got 27 volunteers to look at images of spicy curries and noodles - as well as blander food items such as fruit - and gave them a small electric shock as they stared at the pictures.
They were quizzed on how much pain they felt and the results revealed that the discomfort was muted when they looked at the spicy foods, even though they were zapped at the same power in both instances.
Experts from Chongqing Normal University said: "This result suggested that spicy vs non-spicy food pictures relieved painful experience to high pain stimuli."
Despite the initial promise, the boffins say that more trials are needed to see if the theory would work for those suffering from chronic pain.