I Hate You Because I’m Hungry: The Science Behind Being Hangry
(Editor's note: This post was originally published on Fit Nation Magazine.)
My boyfriend needs hanger (the amalgam of hungry and anger) management. He needs to google some classes, find one that fits his schedule, and attend. When he’s hungry, he’s like the people in the Snickers commercials before they eat the candy bar, and he terrifies me.
Fortunately, I know he is not alone. I, too, get angry when I’m hungry and have been always curious on how food and mood connect. Many people talk and joke (and hashtag) about being hangry, but few know the actual science behind it.
“Unlike normal hunger, which comes from the need for energy, food and sugar cravings associated with irritability (‘hanger’) are coming from drops in blood sugar associated with fatigue of your adrenal ‘stress handler’ glands,” says Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, board certified internist and author of From Fatigued to Fantastic! and The Complete Guide to Beating Sugar Addiction. “The adrenal makes cortisol, our stress hormone, whose job it is to get your body to produce sugar during stress so that your brain has a steady source of fuel. When it is unable to do so, blood sugar drops during stress, and it feels to your brain as if it is suffocating.”
Pretty gnarly, huh?
When your blood sugar is low, you’re more susceptible to your anger and frustrations, and you lash out on those around you until the beast (i.e. you) is fed. And not just fed, but nourished because you can’t (and shouldn’t) combat low blood sugar with a box of cookies. Low blood sugar not only affects your mood and irritability, but can also cause tremors, dizziness, hyperventilation, depression, and anxiety so it’s imperative that you eat properly to stay energized and healthy.
“Choose fiber-rich foods including whole grains, fruits, and vegetables,” suggests Leigh Tracy, registered dietitian at Mercy Medical Center’s Endocrinology Center in Baltimore, Md. “Add a handful of unsalted nuts or low-fat dairy to snacks and meals as well.”
And don’t skip breakfast. Eating breakfast improves concentration and performance and provides strength and endurance for the day’s events. What’s more, maintaining a healthy diet throughout the day will allow you to address problems and concerns with rational and constructive thought since arguing with a coworker or spouse on an empty stomach is both mentally and physically exhausting.
Fortunately, although hanger wins many battles, it doesn’t have to win the war. By acknowledging you have a problem (because acceptance is the first step on the road to recovery), you can learn how to control your hanger before it starts. By eating breakfast in the morning and choosing foods high in protein and fiber throughout the day, your brain and stomach (and significant other) will thank you.