The instant antidote to fear

To “brave up” before a haunted hayride with your family—or to work up the courage to confront everyday scares like public speaking—try sipping some lemon-infused water or taking a bite of something sour before facing your fear: The taste will embolden you, say researchers in the journal Scientific Reports. They asked subjects to consume foods with various tastes, such as bitter, salty, sour or sweet, then participate in a risk-taking activity. Those who ate sour foods chose to take risks up to 40% more often than their counterparts.

The reason: The study authors theorize that eating sour food is adventurous itself, and that primes us to take even bigger leaps of faith.