Tangled Mind

Volunteers were given either capsules containing lavender or a placebo.
Their physiological responses to neutral, scary and light-hearted film clips were then observed.
Women who took lavender had an increased heart rate variation - an indicator of a more relaxed state - during all three films.
But men in fact displayed more symptoms of stress - including sweaty palms - during the scary film if they had taken a capsule containing lavender.