Why Do People Get “Hangry” When They Don’t Eat?

Everyone has been in this position before: You missed breakfast and then waited too long to take lunch, or a big project kept you busy, and now you’re on hour 10 without food. This is not an intentional intermittent fast. This is an oversight, and it’s costing you. You get irritable, irrational, and downright unpleasant. You’re “hangry.” You’ve experienced this sensation before, but why does it actually happen? What’s the source of hanger, and what can you do to prevent yourself from ending up in that state?

Hanger Comes from a Glucose Deficiency Robbing Your Brain of its Power

Your brain needs glucose to keep functioning. It’s vital. Without this compound, your brain can’t function at 100%, which is what leads to the irrational behavior and poor decision making that accompany hangriness. Glucose is the simple sugar found in almost every carbohydrate. Even complex carbohydrates are eventually broken down by your body until they become glucose. However, if you haven’t eaten any food, you don’t have the blood glucose that you desperately need to keep going. Eating food causes your blood glucose level to increase, which gives your brain the power it needs.

Your Brain Can Sense a Life-Threatening Situation, and it Responds

When you’re short on glucose (or any vital nutrient for that matter), your brain treats the situation as potentially life-threatening. It will ask other organs to release hormones and increase the amount of available blood glucose. These hormones can affect your mood and cause you to behave in ways that you normally wouldn’t. That’s why you may find yourself snapping at others or struggling to concentrate.

Keep Yourself from Getting Hangry by Feeding Yourself

Whether it’s with a hearty breakfast, or a well-timed lunch, you need to make sure that you’re eating to prevent yourself from feeling hangry.  Dunn Brothers Coffee not only serves house-roasted coffee, but we’ve also got a full lunch and breakfast menu. Power bowls, sandwiches, and some sweet options give you the fuel you need to keep yourself moving throughout the day. Learn about all of our food and catering menu options by contacting Dunn Brothers Coffee in Coralville, IA at 319-665-2020.