Why do people feel angry and irritable when they are hungry?
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“Angry – because he is hungry.” Bad mood is often attributed to hunger or exhaustion. People are irritable all morning until they have breakfast, can’t work if it’s lunch time, or nervously look around for the waiter who takes a long time to bring them food. But are these processes really connected? “UP.Zhyttia” searched for an answer together with gastroenterologist Stanislav Kravchuk and nutritionist Tetyana Lakusta. We also consulted the following sources: Washington Post and Health. What happens to the body when we feel hungry The brain gets energy with the help of various nutrients. But he mainly assimilates only carbohydrates. When a person feels hungry, the body tries to curb it and send carbohydrates, particularly glucose, to the brain. “At first, glycogen is mobilized. It is a complex carbohydrate that is found in the muscles and liver. In fact, it is preserved glucose that is stored in our body as a reserve,” explains the gastroenterologist. If a person does not eat, then glycogen first, then fats, and further, the proteins in the muscles will not be converted into sources of energy,” he continues. “That is, under the influence of hormones, the proteins in the muscles are first broken down into amino acids, which will move with the blood to the liver, where they will become glucose, which will finally feed the brain.” In fact, when we don’t eat, our body’s glucose levels drop. And one of the main symptoms of low glucose in the body is irritability, Dina Adimulam, MD, told Health. A person may also feel weak, angry or even aggressive. Hunger is a natural process that signals that energy needs to be replenished/Depositphotos In one study published in 2022 in the journal PLoS One, researchers recruited 64 participants who recorded their emotions five times a day for 21 days . They indicated whether they felt any of the following emotions: hunger, anger, irritation, satisfaction, excitement. The results showed that higher levels of self-reported hunger were associated with greater feelings of anger and irritability, as well as less satisfaction. The feeling of hunger in general does not bring anything pleasant to the body, but each person experiences it individually, Stanislav Kravchuk emphasizes. Even without food, a normally functioning body is smart enough to handle low blood sugar on its own with hormones, commented researcher Amber Alhadeff in an interview with the Washington Post. A low glucose level prompts the body to produce two hormones responsible for the “immediate need for energy”, adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones naturally raise blood sugar levels, so your body can continue to function even when your blood sugar levels drop. Increased cortisol due to hunger can make us feel angry and irritable/Depositphotos But this flood of cortisol and adrenaline in the blood keeps us on high alert for threats. This heightened alertness, combined with feelings of hunger, can also lead to feelings of anger and irritability. “With mild and moderate hunger, productivity can also increase, because the hormone orexin is released. It is such a substrate that directs the body to search for food. It stimulates the brain for an additional search reflex for food and gives more productivity. However, if hunger intensifies, productivity drops “, says nutritionist Tetyana Lakusta. Each person has an individual feeling of hunger and satiety. Therefore, you need to explore your own feeling of hunger and prevent negative feelings. For this, you can make small snacks. Snacks that help To quench “hungry irritability”, a gastroenterologist advises healthy snacks. These can be foods that contain proteins, fats or slow carbohydrates. For example, nuts, apples or bananas. It is worth satiating hunger with products that contain proteins, fats and complex carbohydrates/Depositphotos However, at such moments it may seem to us that the body “wants” something sweet. “I recommend to my patients not to snack on fast carbohydrates. For example, coffee with sugar, a bun or candy. Fast carbohydrates quickly enter the blood and sharply increase the glucose level. After it, insulin is released, which lowers the glucose level. And the person feels hungry again and returns in the same state,” adds Stanislav Kravchuk. If you’re feeling hungry, you can avoid any mentally or emotionally challenging tasks until you’ve had a chance to refuel, says Dr. Dina Adimoolam. “Eat and your mind will be in a much better state,” she concludes. Read also: How to form healthy eating habits in a schoolboy: 7 steps
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