The science behind why people get grumpy when hungry
<p>Are you not you when you’re hungry? Do you snap and pout and grumble (ok, we’re not children but you’re in a less than pleasant mood) when you’re hungry? It’s a sensation so common amongst people that the term “hangry” (an amalgamation of hungry and angry) was born. And now science has found the answer as to why some people get hangry and others don’t.</p>
<p><strong>How “hanger” develops</strong></p>
<p>When we eat, the foods are broken down into nutrients and used for energy. As the time passes from your last meal, the nutrients circulating in your body begin to drop and if your blood-glucose level falls far enough, your brain registers this as a serious, life-threatening situation. Unlike other organs that use a variety of nutrients to function normally, the brain is dependent on glucose to do its important job.</p>
<p>So that’s why when you’re hungry, simple tasks become hard to do. It may be hard to concentrate or you might find you are making more mistakes. And you might not have the energy to behave in socially acceptable norms, thus the angry in “hangry”.</p>
<p>Hanger is also exacerbated by the fact when blood-glucose drops, your body tried to compensate by releasing hormones that increase the level of glucose in your bloodstream. One of the major ones to be released is adrenaline, or the “fight or flight” response, which can add to the anger and grumpiness felt during hunger pangs.</p>
<p><strong>Why do some people get “hangry” and others don’t?</strong></p>
<p>The link between hunger and anger is controlled by common genes, one of them being neuropeptide Y. Neuropeptide Y makes you want to eat a lot straight away (like binge-eating) but as humans are all different, the amount and rate it is released is different for different people.</p>
<p>Ultimately, hanger is a survival mechanism that spurs you to care about your hunger over others so your species won’t die out. But since we’re not fighting for our survival, the easiest way to handle hanger is the most obvious: eat something before you get hungry. And don’t make any big decisions in difficult situations when you’re hungry.</p>
<p><em>Source: <a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-the-science-of-hangry-or-why-some-people-get-grumpy-when-theyre-hungry-37229" target="_blank">The Conversation</a></em></p>
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