Podcast: Play in new window
BOB HIRSHON (host):
Avoiding low sugar conversations. I’m Bob Hirshon an d this is Science Update.
Low blood sugar could lead to marital discord, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Married couples were given glucose test kits and voodoo dolls with 51 pins. They were told to put pins in the dolls each night based on how angry they felt toward their spouse. According to Ohio State University researcher Brad Bushman, spouses below the 25th percentile in evening blood sugar put twice as many pins in the dolls as those in the upper 25th.
Brad Bushman (Ohio State University):
Actually three participants, at least on three days, put all 51 pins in the voodoo doll.
Hirshon:
He says low glucose levels prevent the self-control centers of our brains from operating properly and that much dischord and even domestic violence could be reduced if couples simply avoided talking about serious matters when they’re hungry. I’m Bob Hirshon, for AAAS, the science society.