Why do you get angry when you're hungry? You may have "hunger rage"!

When you're hungry, do you feel irritable and more easily angered than usual? It's not just your imagination, it's real.

You are definitely not the only one among the many foodies who suffer from "hangry hunger syndrome".

Hangry: Becoming short-tempered or irritable due to hunger. Han gry, a combination of the words hungry and angry, was added to the Oxford Dictionary Online in August 2015.

Why do hunger and anger affect each other?

Irritability and hunger are strongly correlated

Recently, a new study published in the American journal "Public Library of Science 101" found that hungry people do feel angry, and irritability is strongly correlated with hunger.

The researchers recruited 64 adults from Central Europe and asked them to record their hunger levels and emotional states over a 21-day period.

The results showed that hunger was associated with strong emotions such as anxiety and anger, as well as lack of pleasure, and the impact of hunger was significant regardless of factors such as age, gender, BMI index, eating habits and personal personality traits.

Why does hunger make people inexplicably irritable?

This is because when we are hungry but have no food to eat, the brain lacks glucose. When blood sugar levels are too low, the brain triggers the release of stress hormones, which produces a frustrating physiological response, making people more irritable and difficult to control angry emotions.

6 types of people most likely to suffer from "hidden hunger"

Hunger can be divided into explicit hunger and implicit hunger. The explicit hunger can be solved by "eating enough", while the implicit hunger can only be solved by "eating right and eating well".

"Hidden hunger" refers to the lack of micronutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, etc.

People need to take in more than 40 kinds of nutrients through food every day to meet the needs of the body. About 70% of chronic diseases are related to "hidden hunger", such as obesity, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, decreased vision, decreased immunity, premature aging, etc.

Generally speaking, the following types of people are more likely to suffer from "hidden hunger" and need special attention.

01

People who often stay up late

Studies have shown that staying up late will increase the consumption of vitamin C, vitamin E, and B vitamins. In addition, lack of sleep will affect appetite, leading to lower intake of vitamin A, calcium, and magnesium.

Lack of vitamin A can cause dry eyes, lack of vitamin C can cause bleeding gums, and lack of vitamin B1 can cause insomnia and forgetfulness.

02

People who travel frequently

It is difficult to have a balanced diet when dining out. It is common to not have enough whole grains, milk, or fruits and vegetables. Therefore, people who travel frequently are prone to vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin C, and calcium deficiency.

03

People who are dieting to lose weight

When people who are losing weight control their energy intake, their intake of various micronutrients will also decrease, leading to "hidden hunger."

04

People who rarely get sun exposure

The content of vitamin D in food is very low, and sunbathing is an important way to supplement vitamin D. Therefore, if you go out early and come back late every day, wear a hat, sunglasses, and apply sunscreen when you go out, you are prone to vitamin D deficiency. Severe calcium deficiency may cause osteoporosis.

05

Vegetarians

The absorption rate of iron in plant foods is particularly low, and vitamin B12 is almost only found in animal foods, so vegetarians are prone to lack of these two nutrients.

Iron deficiency can easily lead to anemia, while vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiency can cause hyperhomocysteinemia, which in turn increases the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

06

child

Being picky about food and frequently eating fast food are important causes of "hidden hunger" in children.

The report "The State of the World's Children 2019: Children, Food and Nutrition" released by UNICEF shows that at least half of the world's children (about 340 million) under the age of five are suffering from "hidden hunger" and lack essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A and iron.

Certain people in special physiological stages, such as those in pregnancy, lactation, menopause, and the elderly, are also prone to "hidden hunger."

People who often stay up late, travel on business, or lose weight can appropriately increase the intake of coarse grains, dark-colored fruits and vegetables, which will help supplement a variety of vitamins and minerals.

Vegetarians should eat more fermented foods to help supplement vitamin B12, and pay attention to the intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, among which vitamin C helps promote the absorption of non-heme iron.

For children, parents should guide them to eat less fast food that is high in salt, sugar and fat, and eat more natural food.

5 eating methods to delay "hunger"

When people eat only after they feel hungry, they are more likely to choose high-calorie, high-fat foods and eat quickly, which ultimately leads to excessive energy intake.

In fact, as long as you find a few switches that control "hunger", and turn them off at the right time, you can keep your stomach feeling full and manage your weight.

Choose high-fiber, low-fat foods

High-fiber foods, such as vegetables, fungi, fruits, whole grains, etc., are good at eliminating hunger and are also recognized as low-calorie foods.

Foods with high fiber content can enrich our stomachs and intestines, giving people a feeling of "fullness", that is, a stronger sense of fullness.

In addition, it is also important to control your appetite and avoid high-fat foods (fried foods, cakes, burgers, barbecues).

On the contrary, low-fat foods, such as white meat such as fish, shrimp, chicken, or lean red meat, contain lower fat and higher protein, which can make you feel fuller longer.

Snack between meals

There are two times of the day when most people feel hungry to some degree.

One is around 10:30 in the morning, when the body's metabolism speeds up, and the other is around 16:00, when the glucose content in the body has decreased.

You can add some healthy snacks at these two times. The best snacks are low-energy and filling foods, such as milk, yogurt, soy milk or nuts.

In addition, you can also eat a small amount of dried fruits, which are rich in fiber and minerals, which can help prevent hunger and control appetite.

Change the order of meals

The traditional order of eating is usually: fish, vegetables, staple food, soup, dessert or fruit. This order is not healthy and is not good for controlling appetite.

It is best to follow the following eating order: drink soup → eat vegetables → eat protein → eat staple food.

This eating order can slow down the digestion speed and release nutrients slowly and steadily until the end of the small intestine has absorbed all the food. Eating in this way will make you less likely to feel hungry after the same meal.

Have a richer breakfast

A hearty breakfast causes a small increase in blood sugar and insulin levels, which reduces a person's craving for food.

A study by the University of Cambridge in the UK found that people who consumed only 300 kcal for breakfast gained twice as much weight as those who consumed 500 kcal for breakfast.

Drink plenty of water

Dehydration and hunger feel similar. The hypothalamus sends mixed messages when thirsty, leading people to think they need to eat a snack. At this time, drinking a glass of water can help control your cravings for junk food.