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‘Hangry’ is a real thing, and it could be harming your relationship

Here at Healthista, we joke about getting ‘hangry’ (translation: so hungry you’re angry), but a new study shows that it’s an actual issue in some marriages

One reason to keep your blood sugar stable: a new study shows that the lower a person’s blood sugar, the angrier they get at their spouse.

Young couple arguing in their living room

For three weeks, researchers from Ohio State University, University of Kentucky and University of North Carolina at Wilmington researched the connection between glucose levels in the blood and aggressive feelings towards a partner. 107 married couples’ glucose levels were measured each day. Each evening, participants would stick between 0 and 51 pins into a voodoo doll, depending on how angry they were at their spouse. To test aggression, spouses competed with each other on a 25-trial task in which the winner blasted the loser with noise through headphones.

‘As expected, the lower the level of glucose in the blood, the greater number of pins participants stuck into the voodoo doll, and the higher intensity and longer duration of noise participants set for their spouse,’ according to the study abstract.

So, next time you get frustrated with the hubby, check in with yourself–you could be overreacting out of hunger. Or, vice-versa (but we don’t recommend telling him he’s hungry. Try our line, ‘Have you eaten today, dear?) Our advice? Keep one of our favorite snacks in your bag–for yourself or for him. We know we do.

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