Have you ever snapped angrily at someone when your tummy was rumbling? We’ve all been there.
Feeling “hangry” (a combination of hunger and anger) is that grumpy, short-tempered state you experience when you haven’t eaten in a while. It used to be considered a highly-relatable old wive’s tale, but now the science is here to back it up.
According to the New Scientist, being hungry can trigger the hormones associated with anger and aggression. “Low blood sugar triggers the release of stress-related hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, as well as a chemical called neuropeptide Y, which has been found to make people behave more aggressively towards those around them.”
The phenomenon is, in fact, pretty well-documented. A 2014 medical study gave married couples voodoo dolls to represent how angry they felt towards each other. The lower the participant’s blood sugar levels, the more needles they stuck in their voodoo doll. Yikes!
But controlling hunger-related stress is pretty easy when you’re not experiencing food insecurity. Keep nutrient-dense snacks close by, and start munching before tempers flare.
It seems that eating right isn’t just good for you, it’s also good for everyone around you.
