Is Hangry Real? The Connection Between Anger and Hunger

Why Hunger Sometimes Erupts as Anger

Medically reviewed by Allison Herries, RDN

The word "hangry" is a combination of “hungry” and “angry.” It’s that grumpy, irritable, or toxic feeling some get when they’ve missed a meal. But "hangry" isn’t just a clever, new term; research has found irritability, loss of self-control, and the other hallmarks of anger can be signs your body is hungry.

This article dives into the science showing that you can be hangry and discusses what you can do to prevent this issue.

When Did Hangry Become an Official Word?

Every year, the editors of dictionaries update entries and add new terms that have started being used. “Hangry,” defined as “bad-tempered or irritable as a result of hunger,” was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2018, alongside “mansplain,” “co-parent,” and many other words.

The Science Behind Being Hangry

Studies have confirmed an association between hunger and anger. In one study, 64 people recorded their emotions and levels of hunger five times daily over three weeks. Being hungry was found to increase feelings of anger and irritability and reduce reported levels of pleasure.

Another study found hunger causes a negative shift in mood. In a series of studies, researchers noted that hungry subjects were more likely to become irritated or upset by pictures that were “unpleasant.” This was especially the case when participants didn’t focus on their emotional states.

Researchers have also begun to explore how being hangry can hit home. In a small study of married couples, low blood sugar level was linked to poor self-control and increased feelings of aggression toward the other partner.

The Mechanism of Hanger

Several factors are involved when you’re hangry. When you eat, your gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which includes the stomach and intestines, breaks down food. This raises the levels of sugar (glucose) in your blood. Not eating for long periods causes these levels to deplete, one of the main symptoms of which is irritability.

This irritability has been linked to the activity of certain hormones, including adrenaline, which is released when blood glucose levels are too low.

As part of your body’s fight-or-flight response—a natural reaction to danger—adrenaline causes the glucose levels to spike, preparing your body to defend itself. In the absence of an actual threat, this rise causes excess energy. This leads to restlessness, irritability, and loss of self-control.

The Consequences of Getting Too Hungry

Hunger is a natural, physiological sensation of needing food.

When your body starts running low on nutrients—because blood glucose levels are low—your stomach and intestines, or GI tract, emits a hormone called ghrelin. This hormone travels to the brain, triggering centers in your brain to cause a hunger response: Your appetite increases, and the GI tract secretes acids.

The immediate effects of the hunger response on the body and mind can be uncomfortable, causing:

• An empty feeling in the stomach, intense hunger

• Growling stomach

• Headache

• Dizziness, light-headedness

• Irritability, crankiness

• Fatigue, lack of energy

• Shakiness, loss of balance

• Weakness

Ghrelin also impacts the decision-making centers of the brain. Along with irritability, hunger increases impulsivity, reducing your ability for self-control. You may have obsessive, intrusive thoughts about food and may make poorer dietary choices.

Other Risks of Not Eating

There are many reasons you shouldn’t skip meals if you can avoid it. Prolonged hunger means long periods of low blood sugar, which causes many symptoms. It can also lead to malnutrition and raise the risk of chronic conditions.

Low Blood Sugar

Known clinically as hypoglycemia, low blood glucose cause:

• Severe hunger

• Difficulty concentrating

• Dizziness

• Tremors and muscle weakness

• Elevated heart rate

• Headaches

• Coordination problems

• Irritability and anxiety

If the blood sugar levels continue to drop, the symptoms can get more severe. They include:

• Vision problems, blurring

• Slurring of speech

• Tremors or shaking

• Confusion

• Fainting

• Sleepiness

• Nightmares, waking up by crying out

• Tingling or numbness in the lips, tongue, and cheeks

• Seizures, bursts of electrical activity in the brain

Lack of Energy

When your body doesn’t get the calories and nutrients it needs from food, this leads to fatigue and a general lack of energy. Persistent fatigue and drowsiness even when you get enough sleep may be a sign that you aren’t eating enough or that there gaps in your diet.

Malnutrition

Over time, there can be serious consequences if your body isn’t getting the calories and vitamins it needs. Multiple bodily systems can be affected when you don’t have sufficient levels of carbohydrates, proteins, essential vitamins and minerals (such as vitamin C and calcium), and other nutrients.

Signs of malnutrition include:

• Unintended weight loss

• Loss of appetite

• Lack of interest in food

• Pale, thickened, or dry skin

• Easily bruised skin

• Rashes

• Changes in skin color

• Thinning hair that falls out easily

• Joint pain, with a higher risk of developing arthritis

• Weakened bones (osteoporosis)

• Bleeding in the gums

• Irregular menstruation or changes to your cycle

• Swollen, shriveled, or cracked tongue

• Inability to see at night

• Light sensitivity

• Depression or other mental health impacts

Food Insecurity and Health Issues

Food insecurity—not having the financial means to access enough food—was found to affect over 10% of the U.S. population in 2021. Researchers have found food insecurity and the associated malnutrition to raise the risk of cardiometabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), and hyperlipidemia (elevated fats in the blood). They also found higher rates of mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, in this population.

How to Control or Prevent Being Hangry

Since hunger is at the root of being hangry, changing your dietary habits and adopting certain practices can help you both prevent the condition and manage it. Keys to taking on hanger include:

• Stay hydrated: Ensure you’re drinking enough water, as this influences hunger and digestion.

• Snack healthy: If you’re feeling a hangry episode setting on, snacking can help. Choose healthy, nutrient-rich snacks, such as carrots or fruit, and steer clear of high-calorie, high-salt, or high-sugar options, like chips or candy. The latter can cause sugar crashes.

• Eat enough: Consider snacking more often or eating multiple small meals a day. If you stick to three meals, make sure they are nutritious enough; try boosting protein in the morning.

• Don’t skip meals: Skipping meals can leave you hangry, so make sure you are eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

• Get enough sleep: Insufficient or poor sleep can also have a dramatic effect on hunger and increase other factors that may cause you to miss meals, like stress and anxiety. Get the recommended seven to eight hours (for adults), and go to bed and wake up at consistent times.

• Physical activity: Among the many health benefits of regular exercise are improved mood, appetite, and sleep, all of which can help stop attacks of being hangry.

Summary

To feel hangry is to feel anger and irritability due to having an empty stomach. Though it emerged as a pop-culture term, " being hangry" is real. researchers have linked feelings of irritability and anger to low levels of blood sugar and the hormones released as a result.

Many health risks are associated with prolonged hunger. However, dietary and lifestyle changes can help manage this condition and prevent hangry episodes.