If you're the sort of person who was on the lookout for more excuses to hide various snacks around your house, well, read on because a recent study coming out of Washington suggests that a cheeky bar of chocolate can do more than just satisfy your snacking urge, it can actually help prevent major barneys between spouses.

Why is this? Well, we all know that low blood sugar can seriously affect your mood, making you irritable and tetchy, but Ohio State University psychology researcher Brad Bushman maintains that it can actually make you "hangry" - a combination of hungry and angry.

"Anger is the emotion that most people have difficulty approaching", said Bushman as quoted by kvue.com. "We need glucose for self-control".

These findings are based upon studies of 107 married couples for a period of three weeks. Each person's blood sugar glucose levels were taken and then they were asked to stick pins in a voodoo doll representing their spouse and the levels of aggression were measured. The people with the lowest blood sugar levels were much more forceful when pushing pins into the dolls, it was found. This is also presumably the first time that a voodoo doll has been used in a scientific experiment, but we digress...

The madness doesn't stop here, either. Apparently three people among the 107 couples put as many as many as 51 pins in the doll at one time - one of whom did this twice.

Bushman claims that the link between eating and emotions is a clear one, as the brain - only 2% of our body weight - takes up around 20% of our calorie intake. 

The advice to take from this, according to a qualified scientist? If you're going to discuss a sensitive issue with your loved one, eat a bar of chocolate first and it should go better.

"Honey....we need to talk. I think you should consider going to the gym."