Is low blood sugar ruining your marriage?

Being "hangry" (hungry and angry) can set up couples for disastrous results, according to research released this week from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

When spouses hit their lowest blood sugar levels, usually at night, is when they reported being the most unhappy, the study found.

"Self-control comes in part from the fuel we give our brains. This is one of the few physiological aspects we can control," study author Brad Bushman, a professor of communication and psychology at Ohio State University in Columbus, told Bloomberg News. "People who are hungry are often very cranky."

Voodoo dolls reveal true feelings

The study included 107 married couples who had their blood sugar levels tested for 21 days at different times during the day. The couples were also given voodoo dolls that represented their spouses – and were instructed to stick up to 51 pins in the dolls per day, depending on how angry they were with their partners.

Since low blood sugar can inhibit people from regulating anger and aggression, the researchers said, the study aimed to determine how aggressive impulses changed based on blood sugar levels.

Spouses with the lowest nighttime blood sugar levels inserted the most pins, while those with the highest glucose readings inserted the least, the researchers reported.

In another test that involved a friendly competition between spouses, those with low blood sugar showed more aggressive behavior, no matter how happy they reported being in their marriage.

"If couples have a sensitive topic to discuss, it would be really smart to do it over dinner or better yet after dinner," Bushman said. "They should definitely not do it on an empty stomach."

For diabetics, regular small meals throughout the day can be helpful in avoiding blood sugar highs and lows, and potentially marital conflict, the authors concluded.

Source: Bloomberg

Photo credit: David Castillo Dominici /FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Get a Free Diabetes Meal Plan

Get a free 7-Day Diabetes Meal Plan from Constance Brown-Riggs who is a Registered Dietitian-Certified Diabetes Educator and who is also a national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

Just enter in your email below to download your free Diabetes Meal Plan.

By clicking Submit, you agree to send your info to BattleDiabetes.com who, in addition to 3rd party partners, may contact you with updates, products and information and we agree to use it according to our privacy policy and terms and conditions.

More Articles

More Articles

For decades people with type-1 and advanced type-2 diabetes relied on painful and often flawed insulin injections to regulate blood sugar...

Scientists have discovered that a single gene forms a common link between type 2 diabetes and...

Natural supplements like cinnamon extract and apple cider vinegar could hold the key to lowering blood sugar levels, according to a recent...

Natural supplements like cinnamon extract and apple cider vinegar could hold the key to lowering blood sugar levels, according to a recent...

Could a person's risk for type 2 diabetes be written in their genes?

According to a study recently published in ...

Women who frequently shift around their sleeping hours could have worse metabolic health outcomes than their peers who stick with a...

The presence of the hormone leptin may hinder prenatal development, which could explain the origin of type 2 diabetes, according to...

An analysis of fossilized Native American feces shows that our ancestors ate up to sixteen times the fiber that we do today, but our...

Managing diabetes is hugely challenging for people of any age, but a new study suggests that young people may suffer all the more....

Disruptions to the gut’s ecosystem could be a future symptom facing young children who take antibiotics, which makes them more susceptible...

Breastfeeding a newborn holds many benefits for mommy and baby; it reduces the baby's risk for colds and viruses, it helps his bones (and yours)...

Fans of the Dexcom G5 Mobile have something to smile about.

At yesterday's hearing with the U.S. Food and Drug...

If you start your day with a cup of tea and end it with a glass of red wine, your blood sugar may thank you.

At least that...

As medical experts continue to debate whether or not "healthy obesity" can even exist, one new study suggests that risk for heart disease...

For years, type 1 diabetics have been anxiously waiting for that medical marvel that can stop the constant injections: the artificial...