Feeling ‘hangry’? Four easy ways to make sure you don’t ever again – by eating right
The secret to controlling your temper is diet, say doctors. When you haven’t eaten enough, hormone levels in your body change and can cause you to be short-tempered
Ever find yourself snapping at someone in the office or at home or shooting deathly stares at the waiter who is slow to take your food order when you are feeling angry, restless or anxious? That is the experience of being hangry, a state of anger caused by lack of food; hunger causing a negative change in emotional state. Many have experienced “hanger” first-hand or know someone whose temper is directly correlated to the loudness of their stomach grumbles. That our fuse is shorter when our stomach feels empty is no coincidence.
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Going too many hours without food triggers a drop in blood glucose levels. That signals the pancreas to secrete another hormone: glucagon. Glucagon basically has the opposite effect of insulin: it breaks down stored glucose, and releases it into the blood to bring blood sugar levels back to baseline. But stored glucose only goes so far. “Hanger” strikes if you do not eat something in time.
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Most of the serotonin in our bodies, as much as 90 per cent of it, regulates intestinal movements, targeting the gastrointestinal tract. The rest regulates mood, appetite, and sleep, and it is also thought to contribute to feelings of pleasure, well-being, and happiness.
According to a University of Cambridge study published in Biological Psychiatry in 2012, serotonin levels have been found to fluctuate particularly when people are stressed out or have not eaten. This makes sense, as the rising and falling of our serotonin levels also affects the parts of our brain that allow us to control our anger. For this reason, when food intake is reduced, so are serotonin levels. The inaction of the intestinal system precludes serotonin release, and the consequences include anxiety, stress, anger and hunger – a hangry cocktail. Without enough to eat, the brain does not function as well. This leads to a loss of self-control, and more aggressive behaviour.
Hanger management
Having reviewed the science behind hanger, here are some ways to help manage it. Your brain and loved ones will thank you, too.
