Glucose expert claims a common breakfast ingredient could be hurting your relationship: ‘The food you eat can impact your marriage’
What if someone told you that the reason for arguments with your partner isn’t your emotions, but your breakfast? Jessie Inchauspé, a glucose expert, pointed out that a common ingredient in most American meals may be affecting your marriage. In a podcast with Steve Bartlette, she explained that a study has linked blood sugar fluctuations with emotional responses in married couples. Inchauspé, a French biochemist and bestselling author, also known as the "Glucose Goddess," shared that the researchers recruited a total of “300 married couples” to take part in a unique experiment. The video posted on Facebook on December 3, 2025, by Steve Bartlett, a prominent British entrepreneur, investor, and podcaster, has received over 1.7 million views.
“Eating less sugar can save your marriage,” read the caption of the video. Explaining how glucose levels affect relationships, the expert said, “Even in marriage, there is a great study I have to tell you about that was looking at married couples. So they recruited 300 married couples. They gave each person in the marriage a voodoo doll representing their spouse.” She explained that scientists instructed them to insert a pin into it every time their partner annoyed them over six weeks. “At the end of the study, they took all the voodoo dolls and counted the pins,” Inchauspé shared.
Alongside this, the researchers monitored the participants’ glucose levels. “Those who had more variable glucose levels, specifically those who had more low glucose level events, which happen after spikes, had put more pins in the voodoo doll representing their spouse.” According to Inchauspé, the data revealed that people who have frequent glucose spikes and crashes, a “glucose roller coaster,” as she calls it, tend to be more irritated with their partners. This may be connected to a neurotransmitter called tyrosine, which helps regulate mood, the scientists speculated. “And the more glucose roller coaster you have going on, the lower your tyrosine levels,” she explained.
The "Glucose Goddess" emphasized that these fluctuations not just influence physical health but also affect behavior and emotional reactions. “So the food you eat can impact your marriage, can impact how you show up with others, can impact how you feel about other people's behavior,” she said. “It goes really deep. It's not just about diabetes.”
According to The Nutrition Source, American adults, teens, and kids consume roughly 17 teaspoons of added sugar daily, with many breakfast items like cereals, flavored oatmeal, cereal bars, and pastries contributing heavily to this intake. The video received over 33.8K likes, with many viewers sharing their opinions in the comment section. “I would never put pins on a voodoo doll that represents my wife, no matter how irritated I am,” wrote Vishwa Dinendra Bulathgama, calling the study “weird.”
While Charisse Lambert recounted, “I used to have ridiculously wild roller coaster-like blood sugar levels. Once I figured out how to stabilize them so there were no more highs and lows, I actually was able to become a better spouse.” Kseniia Butova asked, “As a psychologist, I wouldn't be that sure glucose ~ irritation. Were temperament, character, self-esteem, and other things considered?”
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