A study done by University of South Dakota researchers into the effects of blood glucose levels on decision making and critical thinking ability produced some interesting results. Subjects were given a soda to drink and then waited 10 minutes for the sugar to metabolize and get into their blood stream. Some of the subjects received a regular soda and some received a diet soda.

Subjects were then asked a number of questions and what is interesting is that the persons who drank the diet soda and thus had lower blood glucose levels were more inclined to take a smaller amount of money now rather than waiting for a month and then receiving a larger  amount of money.

Subjects who had the regular soda with full amount of sugar and higher blood glucose levels were more willing to choose to receive a larger amount of money at a later date or were more forward thinking than those people with the lower glucose levels.

Maybe it means that it takes more brain power to think about the abstract future  and the higher glucose levels are necessary to have the energy available to do the processing to think clearly about the future. Or maybe it just means that the higher glucose levels produce a full satisfied feeling, making it easier to delay gratification and allowing one to better wee the benefits of waiting for more money.

Whatever it means, glucose levels in blood do exert an influence on behavior.

It’s difficult to know for sure, but after reading this study a person should really make an effort to eat properly when facing difficult decisions or difficult tests. Maybe Mom really did know best when she said that breakfast was the most important meal of the day and getting a good start would make the whole day seem better. Now there is some scientific evidence that her advice was right as eating to raise blood glucose levels really will make the day seem better and give your brain the energy and fuel necessary to make good decisions for a part of the day.