Sweetened blood cools hot tempers: physiological self-control and aggression.

Abstract

Aggressive and violent behaviors are restrained by self-control. Self-control consumes a lot of glucose in the brain, suggesting that low glucose and poor glucose metabolism are linked to aggression and violence. Four studies tested this hypothesis. Study 1 found that participants who consumed a glucose beverage behaved less aggressively than did participants who consumed a placebo beverage. Study 2 found an indirect relationship between diabetes (a disorder marked by low glucose levels and poor glucose metabolism) and aggressiveness through low self-control. Study 3 found that states with high diabetes rates also had high violent crime rates. Study 4 found that countries with high rates of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (a metabolic disorder related to low glucose levels) also had higher killings rates, both war related and non-war related. All four studies suggest that a spoonful of sugar helps aggressive and violent behaviors go down.

• Authors: C Nathan DeWall, Timothy Deckman, Matthew T Gailliot, Brad J Bushman
• Journal: Aggressive behavior (Aggress Behav) 2011 Jan-Feb Vol. 37 Issue 1 Pg. 73-80 ISSN: 1098-2337 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 21064166 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Chemical References

• Glucose

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aggression (drug effects, physiology)
• Anger
• Female
• Glucose (metabolism, pharmacology)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Self Concept
• Social Control, Informal