New scientific research has discovered that feelings of hunger can actually make us more prone to anger and irritability.
Published in the journal PLOS ONE, this is also the first study to investigate the extent to which hunger affects daily human emotions.
“Hangry” – a blend of “hungry” and “angry” is widely used in everyday language, but this phenomenon has not been extensively explored in scientific research outside of laboratory settings.
Hunger is linked to increased feelings of anger and irritability. (Illustrative image).
The researchers selected 64 adults from Central Europe who recorded their hunger levels and various emotional measures over a period of 21 days.
Participants were prompted to report their feelings and levels of hunger on a smartphone app five times a day, allowing for data collection in their everyday environments, such as at work and home.
The results indicated that hunger was associated with increased feelings of anger and irritability, even after accounting for demographic factors such as age, gender, body mass index, diet, and personality traits. Volunteers reported feeling 37% more irritable and 34% angrier when hungry, while their levels of happiness decreased by 38%.
The lead author of the study, Viren Swami, a Professor of Social Psychology at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), stated: “Many of us are aware that hunger can affect our emotions, but it is surprising that so few scientific studies have focused on this. Although our research does not provide ways to mitigate the negative emotions caused by hunger, it does suggest that tracking emotions can help individuals adjust.”
According to experts, if your blood glucose levels drop too low, your brain perceives this as a life-threatening situation. Unlike most other organs and tissues in the body that can utilize various nutrients to function, your brain relies entirely on glucose to operate.
It’s not hard to recognize this dependency: when you find it difficult to concentrate and are prone to making silly mistakes, or suddenly stumble over your words, it’s a sign that you are hungry and your glucose levels are low.
Previously, research published on IFLScience indicated that the connection between hunger and anger is controlled by genes. One such gene produces neuropeptide Y, a natural brain chemical released in your brain when you are hungry. It stimulates feeding behavior by activating multiple receptors in the brain, including a receptor known as Y1.
In addition to functioning in the brain to regulate hunger, neuropeptide Y and the Y1 receptor also modulate anger or aggression. Individuals with higher levels of neuropeptide Y in their cerebrospinal fluid tend to exhibit unexpected irritability.
While many physical factors contribute to feelings of anger and frustration when hungry, psychosocial factors also play a significant role. For example, culture influences whether you express aggression directly or indirectly.
