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

Author
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.

Year of Publication
:
1969
Journal
:
Aggressive behavior
Volume
:
37
Issue
:
1
Number of Pages
:
73-80
Date Published
:
1969
ISSN Number
:
0096-140X
URL
:
https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.20366
DOI
:
10.1002/ab.20366
Short Title
:
Aggress Behav
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