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

Aggress Behav. 2011 Jan-Feb;37(1):73-80. doi: 10.1002/ab.20366.

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.

MeSH terms

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

Substances

  • Glucose