"Hangry": why some people become cranky when they are hungry

Have you ever angrily attacked when you were hungry? Or did anyone take you when you were hungry? If so, you have already experienced the "hangry" – the phenomenon that makes some people grumpy and angry when they are late for food. .

But where does the hanger come from? And why do only some people seem to become pure? The answer lies in some of the processes that occur in your body when it needs food.

The physiology of the hanger

Carbohydrates, proteins and fats in everything you eat are digested into simple sugars (such as glucose), amino acids and free fatty acids. These nutrients pbad into your bloodstream, from where they are distributed in your organs and tissues and used to produce energy.

As time pbades after your last meal, the amount of these nutrients circulating in your bloodstream begins to drop. If your blood sugar drops far enough, your brain will perceive it as a life-threatening situation. You see, unlike most other organs and tissues in your body that can use a variety of nutrients to keep functioning, your brain is extremely glucose dependent to do its job.

You have probably already noticed this dependence of your brain on glucose; Simple things can become difficult when you are hungry and your blood sugar goes down. You may have trouble concentrating, for example, or you can make stupid mistakes. Or you may have noticed that your words are confused or confused.

Another thing that can become more difficult when one is hungry, is to behave in the respect of socially acceptable norms, such as not to take on someone else. So, even if you are able to imagine enough brain power to not be grumpy with important colleagues, you can let your guard down and inadvertently bump into the people you are most relaxed with or who you are most comfortable with. interest most, like your partners and friends. Sounds familiar?

Another body response

In addition to falling blood glucose levels, the counter-regulatory glucose response is another reason people can crack. Let me explain.

When blood glucose drops to a certain threshold, your brain sends instructions to several organs in your body to synthesize and release hormones that increase the amount of glucose in your bloodstream.

The four main regulating hormones of glucose are: the growth hormone of the pituitary gland located deep in the brain; glucagon of the pancreas; and adrenaline, sometimes called epinephrine, and cortisol, both of which come from the adrenal glands. These last two blood sugar regulating hormones are stress hormones that are released into your bloodstream in all kinds of stressful situations, not just when you are experiencing the physical stress of low blood sugar.

In fact, adrenaline is one of the main hormones released into your bloodstream with the "fight or flight" response to a sudden alert, such as when you see, hear or even think about something that threatens your safety . Just as you could easily scream with anger at someone during the "fight or flight" response, the flow of adrenaline that you get during the glucose regulation response may foster a similar response.

Nature and culture

Another reason why hunger is related to anger is that both are controlled by common genes. Neuropeptide Y is a product of this gene, a natural brain chemical released into the brain when you are hungry. It stimulates voracious eating behaviors by acting on various receptors of the brain, including the so-called Y1 receptor.

In addition to acting in the brain to control hunger, the neuropeptide Y and the Y1 receptor also regulate anger or aggression. In this regard, individuals with high levels of neuropeptide Y in their cerebrospinal fluid also tend to exhibit high levels of impulsive aggression.

As you can see, many ways can make you angry when you are hungry. Hanger is definitely a survival mechanism that has served humans and other animals well. Think of it like this: if hungry organisms retreated and graciously allowed others to eat before them, their species could disappear.

Although many physical factors contribute to the suspension, psychosocial factors also play a role. For example, culture influences whether you express verbal aggression directly or indirectly.

And since we are all different for all of these factors, it is not surprising that there are differences in how angry people seem to put themselves when they are hungry.

Treat with hanger

The best way to handle the hanger is to eat something before you get too hungry. Although you're looking for fast-paced foods, such as chocolate and chips, when you're racking a hanger, junk food usually induces large increases in blood sugar levels that quickly collapse.

In the end, they can leave you feeling more late. Think of nutrient-rich natural foods that help satisfy hunger for as long as possible, without excessive kilojoules.

Eating as soon as you are hungry may not always be possible. This may be the case during long periods of work at work, for example, or during religious fasting such as Ramadan, or during weight loss diets involving significant energy restriction (such as intermittent fasting diets). All this should only be done if your doctor has given you the green light.

In these cases, it may be helpful to remember that over time, your counter-regulatory blood sugar response will trigger and your blood glucose level will stabilize. In addition, when you do not eat, your body begins to break down its own fat stores into energy, some of which are transformed by your body into ketones, a product of fat metabolism. Ketones are thought to help control your hunger because your brain can use them instead of glucose as a fuel.

A last, very civilized way of handling a hanger is to suggest that difficult situations be treated after food, not before!

This article first appeared here in The Conversation.