14 DAY TRIAL // A team of experts from the Ohio State University (OSU), the University of Kentucky, and the University of North Carolina (UNC) determined in a new study that a link exists between glucose levels in the blood and a person's ability to exert self-control. Low sugar levels in the blood appear to contribute to an increase in the incidence of anger and aggression between spouses as well.
Studies conducted at OSU in 2010 revealed that higher levels of glucose in the blood made strangers less likely to behave aggressively over time in a competitive task. Psychologist Brad Bushman, who led these researches, wanted to know whether or not romantic couples were influenced by the same link. In the new study, he and colleagues followed 107 married couples for 21 days.
Participants measured their glucose levels each morning and night, while also assessing their anger level over time. Each test subject then inserted pins into a voodoo doll the team provided. When the three weeks had passed, the team found that spouses with lower levels of glucose in the blood at night were more likely to display anger and aggression towards their partners, Science Mag reports.
“This is a very impressive study. Being able to control ourselves and our impulses is one of the most important elements of the human psyche, so understanding self-control and what fuels it is really quite important,” comments Florida State University psychologist Roy Baumeister, who was not involved in the research. The work is detailed in the April 14 issue of the journal PNAS.