Feeling ‘hangry’ is a real phenomenon, new study finds

We knew it!

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

It turns out that being ‘hangry’ - feeling so hungry that you can begin to sense intense rage – isn’t a myth.

While many may assume that it is simply a slang term used by the melodramatic, scientists have now confirmed that “hanger” is in fact a real emotion.

Researchers at the University of Guelph have discovered that feeling angry when you’re hungry is all down to the sudden drop in glucose levels, or hypoglycaemia.

“We found evidence that a change in glucose level can have a lasting effect on mood,” said Prof. Francesco Leri, department of psychology.

“I was sceptical when people would tell me that they get grouchy if they don't eat, but now I believe it. Hypoglycaemia is a strong physiological and psychological stressor.”

Published in the journal Psychopharmacology, the study examined the impact of a sudden glucose drop on the emotional behaviour of rats.

The rats were injected with a glucose metabolism blocker causing them to experience hypoglycaemia, and were then placed in a specific chamber. On a separate occasion, they were given an injection of water and placed in a different chamber.

When given the choice of which chamber to re-enter, the majority of rats actively avoided the chamber where they experienced hypoglycaemia.

“This type of avoidance behaviour is an expression of stress and anxiety,” explained Leri.

“The animals are avoiding that chamber because they had a stressful experience there. They don't want to experience it again.”

The researchers tested blood levels of the rats after experiencing hypoglycaemia and found more corticosterone, an indicator of physiological stress.

This supports the idea that the animals experienced stress and depressed mood when they were hypoglycaemic.

But, while missing one meal might simply make you ‘hangry’, the team believe that your overall mood could be impacted if meal-skipping becomes a habit.

Having established hypoglycaemia contributes to bad moods, the researchers plan to determine whether chronic, long-term cases raise the risk of depression-like behaviours.

“Poor mood and poor eating can become a vicious cycle in that if a person isn't eating properly, they can experience a drop in mood, and this drop in mood can make them not want to eat,” said PhD student Thomas Horman, who led the study.

“If someone is constantly missing meals and constantly experiencing this stressor, the response could affect their emotional state on a more constant level."