What is the science behind Hanger? Hanger comes from joining the words, “Anger” and “Hunger.” When you’re hungry, you turn into the hulk — “Don’t make me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m [hungry].” Now, researchers have uncovered the science behind this phenomenon.
The Fault in Us
Why do we take so long to feed our body with food? When our body feels hungry, it sends us a signal, saying, “Feed me!” If we ignore that signal and delay feeding our body with food, our body reacts emotionally to it, causing us to react.
The longer we stay hungry, the more anxious our body gets, leading us to turn into the angry green beast, the Hulk. Our stomach and brain communicate with each other. When we feel hungry, our stomach sends a signal to our brain.
The more we ignore the signal, the angrier we get. The researchers at the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences discovered a connection between hunger, being angry, and having low blood sugar level.
When you space out your meals, going too long without eating anything, your blood sugar level drops and releases the following hormones:
1. Ghrelin
Ghrelin, produced in the stomach, stimulates feelings of hunger and produces anxiety in the brain, which causes hanger. When you are hungry, your emotions are haywire. You feel irritable and have the strong urge to eat food. When you finally eat food, ghrelin goes away. If you continue to ignore the signal to eat food, it can disrupt the hormones in the body.
2. Adrenaline and Cortisol
Adrenaline and cortisol are two stress hormones that your body releases when your blood sugar level drops. When these two hormones are out and about in your body, our body begins to react emotionally, mentally, and physically.
When hunger pangs hit you, it hinders the functioning of your prefrontal cortex. Decreased functioning of the prefrontal cortex influences our personality, self-control, planning, and memory. You begin to feel anxious and stressed, leading you to lose your focus and patience. It also causes your heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure to go up.
3. Neuropeptide Y
If you continue to remain stubborn and not feed your body, your body will hit the panic button. When the body presses the panic button, you go into full Hulk mode. Your body releases neuropeptide Y, causing you to display aggressive behavior towards people unfortunate enough to be around you at that time.
In addition to this, neuropeptide Y stimulates food intake, signaling you to eat digestible carbohydrates straight away. You are so hungry to the point of starving that you scarf down food, eating large amount of it, until your body calms down. This causes you to overeat, crave unhealthy food, and gain weight.
The next time you feel hungry, don’t delay, but eat something. That’s why, experts say never to skip breakfast, as it can cause you to become angry due to hunger. Keep hanger at bay by eating proper and timely meals throughout the day.
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