Have you ever been told that you appear “hangry?” If the word is unfamiliar to you, the sensation it evokes is most likely. Can you recall skipping breakfast to yell at your kids or overreacting to a coworker before lunch? You could have had a rough day, but you were probably just hungry if you hadn’t eaten in a while.
What Exactly Is Hangry?
So, where did the term “hangry” originate? It combines the words angry and hungry, as you might expect. Although hangry is not a medical term, its symptoms are recognized by scientists. Blood sugar changes demonstrate the link between hunger and mood. Blood sugar levels rise after eating, providing us with an energy boost. The food we eat is broken down into glucose, a type of sugar that is the brain’s primary energy source. Your blood glucose levels will drop if you haven’t eaten in a long. This usually makes people hungry. Low blood sugar levels and mood swings are frequently connected. When you’re hungry, the following adjectives may describe how you feel:
• Aggressive: When you’re hungry, you can feel tempted to lash out at friends or family. Research on married couples discovered that when blood sugar levels were lower than usual, intimate partners were more prone to display angry feelings against each other.
• Distractable: Low blood sugar levels are linked to poor concentration. Hangry kids may struggle to pay attention in class, and hangry employees may struggle to concentrate during a pre-lunch meeting or an important conference call at the end of a long day.
• Impulsive: When you’re hungry, it can be challenging to stick to a healthy eating plan. Mild hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) causes the brain to crave high-calorie foods.
Your hangry symptoms may differ. Some folks become exhausted. Some are agitated. Brain fogginess and a loss of motivation are common symptoms. Regardless of your symptoms, detecting when hunger affects your mood is essential.
The Relationship Between the Gut and the Brain
When we eat well on a regular basis, we provide our brain with the nutrients it needs to function correctly. Sadly, hectic schedules and daily concerns can make eating healthy difficult. Aside from low blood glucose, going too long without eating produces other effects. The cause is low blood sugar, although several physiological mechanisms exist at work. Blood glucose responses can vary from person to person. Real low blood sugar is referred to as hypoglycemia.
Symptoms
Blood sugar swings can mimic hypoglycemia in persons accustomed to consistently high levels. When blood sugar levels fall, the sympathetic nervous system releases the chemicals glucagon and epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) (SNS). This causes symptoms such as trembling, dry mouth, perspiration, and anxiousness.
Glucagon and epinephrine work to restore normal blood sugar levels by breaking down stored carbohydrates or body fat to unleash stored energy. As a result, epinephrine is known as a “stress hormone.” Acetylcholine release in the sympathetic nervous system causes hunger, perspiration, and tingling. However, the procedure may also include the central nervous system. When the central nervous system loses glucose, it can cause disorientation, irritation, and, in severe cases, loss of consciousness. Other hormones, such as cortisol and growth hormone, are implicated but play a minor role.
Mood Swings
When our blood sugar drops, it causes hormones to be secreted by different organs in our bodies. Several of these hormones influence behavior, and their production can make us more violent. Because of their genetic make-up and communication style, certain people are more prone to being hangry. While these bodily changes may appear dramatic and potentially dangerous, they are not in most situations.
Only people receiving insulin or sulfonylurea medicines for diabetes experience severe hypoglycemia. Our physiology will draw us out of the episode in those who do not take these medications.
How to Prevent Becoming Hungry
Even if the illness isn’t life-threatening, most of us would want to avoid becoming hangry. After all, who wants to cope with the consequences of shouting at the boss over a missed meal? Fortunately, there are strategies to avoid this problem, such as eating a balanced combination of carbohydrates, protein, and fat at each meal and nibbling on something little before experiencing hangry feelings.
Heavy carbohydrate meals or snacks like chips, cookies, or candy can swiftly elevate our blood glucose levels but also induce crashes later. Going for a more balanced meal that includes complex carbohydrates and protein is advisable. Cleary recommends balanced and substantial snacks as balanced snack alternatives. Bananas with peanut butter, whole-grain crackers with hummus, and Greek yogurt with fruit and almonds are all excellent choices. Finally, if you become hangry frequently, time your meals around when the symptoms are likely to occur. Also, take caution against drinking too much caffeine. Caffeine might aggravate the symptoms, so don’t rely solely on coffee to raise your energy levels.
Kim’s Final Thoughts…
Knowing the gut-brain link may aid in the prevention of angry outbursts. If you frequently experience hangry, adjust your eating habits to reduce hunger or carry nutritious snacks to keep your blood sugar stable.
