You’re standing in the kitchen, staring at a box of pasta that won't open, and suddenly you want to throw the entire pot across the room. Your partner asks a simple question about the electric bill and you snap like a dry twig. It’s not just that you’re hungry. You are "hangry," a portmanteau so accurate it actually made its way into the Oxford English Dictionary back in 2018. But why do I get hangry when some people can skip lunch and stay perfectly pleasant?
It’s not a personality flaw. It’s biology.
Specifically, it’s a survival mechanism hardwired into your DNA from a time when humans had to hunt for their dinner rather than just opening an app. If you were a prehistoric human and you felt "chill" while starving, you’d probably just sit under a tree and die. Instead, your brain triggers a cascade of stress hormones to give you the aggressive edge needed to find food. Fast.
The Blood Sugar Rollercoaster
Everything you eat—carbohydrates, proteins, fats—eventually breaks down into simple sugars, mainly glucose. Glucose is the premium fuel for your brain. While your muscles can use other energy sources, your brain is a bit of a diva. It relies almost exclusively on glucose to function.
When you go too long without eating, the concentration of glucose in your blood drops. This is hypoglycemia.
Once your blood sugar hits a certain low point, your brain perceives it as a full-blown life-threatening crisis. It’s literally starving. Because the brain controls everything from your ability to focus to your ability to follow social norms, things start to fall apart. You can’t concentrate. You make silly mistakes. You lose the ability to behave within the "acceptable" bounds of human interaction. This is why you might find yourself snapping at a coworker over a stapler.
The Brain's Fight-or-Flight Response
When your glucose levels dip, your brain sends frantic signals to several organs to increase glucose levels in the bloodstream. This is where the "anger" part of being hangry kicks in. The brain instructs the adrenal glands to release hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.
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Adrenaline is your "fight-or-flight" hormone. It’s the same stuff that pumps through your veins when you’re in a car accident or being chased by a dog. Cortisol is the primary stress hormone. When these two are flooding your system, you aren't exactly in the mood for a calm, rational discussion about where to go for dinner. You’re primed for a fight.
There is also a very specific chemical link involving a substance called neuropeptide Y. This chemical is released into the brain when you are hungry. It acts on various receptors, including those related to the Y1 receptor. Interestingly, neuropeptide Y and the Y1 receptor also regulate anger and aggression. People with high levels of neuropeptide Y in their cerebrospinal fluid tend to show higher levels of impulse control issues and outward aggression.
So, basically, the same chemical telling you "eat now" is also telling you "get mad at everyone."
Genetic Luck and the Hunger Scale
Why do some people seem immune to this? You probably know someone who forgets to eat lunch and is still a literal saint at 4:00 PM.
Part of it is down to genetics and "glucose counterregulation." Some people's bodies are just more efficient at pulling stored glucose (glycogen) from the liver to stabilize their blood sugar. Others have a more sensitive "alarm system."
A study published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology looked at how hunger affects emotional perception. Researchers found that hungry people were more likely to perceive ambiguous images as negative and were more likely to rate researchers as "hateful" or "unskilled" if they were hungry during the experiment. However, there’s a catch: this effect mostly happened to people who weren't self-aware of their hunger. If you recognize you’re hungry, you can often "check" the anger.
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If you're someone who gets hangry easily, you might also have a higher baseline of "emotionality." If you’re already stressed at work, the drop in blood sugar acts like a match in a room full of gasoline.
The Relationship Toll
If you've ever had a massive blowout with a spouse at 7:00 PM on a Tuesday, only to feel totally fine after the first three bites of a burger, you’ve experienced the "Voodoo Doll" effect.
A famous (and slightly hilarious) study by Dr. Brad Bushman at Ohio State University followed 107 married couples for 21 days. Every night, the participants measured their blood glucose levels and then poked pins into a "voodoo doll" representing their spouse to reflect how angry they felt.
The results were clear: people with lower glucose levels stuck significantly more pins into the dolls. On some nights, the people with the lowest blood sugar used twice as many pins as those with high blood sugar. They were also more likely to blast their spouse with unpleasantly loud noise through headphones in a laboratory task.
Low sugar = low patience. It's that simple.
How to Stop Being a Nightmare Before Dinner
Knowing why do I get hangry is only half the battle. Preventing the spiral requires a bit of tactical eating. You can't always just "willpower" your way out of a hormonal surge.
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The "Complex" Rule
Stop reaching for a Snickers or a soda when you feel the hanger coming on. Yes, it will spike your blood sugar quickly, but it will cause an insulin surge that crashes your sugar even lower 30 minutes later. You’ll end up angrier than you started. Go for a mix of complex carbs, protein, and fat. Think an apple with peanut butter or some Greek yogurt with nuts. The fat and protein slow down the absorption of the sugar, giving you a steady "drip" of energy rather than a flood and a drought.
The Self-Awareness Check
When you feel that familiar heat rising in your chest and you're about to send a "per my last email" response that will get you fired, ask yourself: When did I last eat? Simply acknowledging that your anger is physiological can often dampen the emotional response. Tell the person you’re with, "I’m feeling really hangry right now, can we talk about this after I grab a snack?" It saves relationships.
The Emergency Kit
Keep "high-stakes" snacks in your bag or car. Almonds, jerky, or protein bars are lifesavers. You want things that won't melt and have a long shelf life.
Watch the Caffeine
Coffee on an empty stomach is a recipe for disaster for the hangry-prone. Caffeine can stimulate the same adrenal response that hunger does. If you're already low on sugar and you pour three espressos into your system, you’re basically DIY-ing a panic attack or a rage spiral. Always eat at least a little something before your morning brew.
Practical Steps to Stabilize Your Mood
If you find that your "hangry" episodes are becoming frequent or extreme, it’s worth looking at your overall metabolic health.
- Prioritize Protein at Breakfast: Starting the day with eggs or a protein shake helps prevent the mid-morning crash that leads to a disastrous lunch-hour mood.
- Monitor Your "Warning" Signs: Most people don't go from 0 to 100 instantly. Do you get a headache first? Do your palms get slightly sweaty? Does your internal monologue start getting more sarcastic? Learn your early warning signs and eat then, rather than waiting for the rage to take over.
- Check for Underlying Issues: While being hangry is normal, extreme irritability could be a sign of insulin resistance or other metabolic issues. If you feel like you must eat every two hours or you'll faint or scream, it's worth a trip to the doctor to check your A1C levels.
- The "HALT" Method: This is a classic tool used in recovery circles but works for everyone. Before making a big decision or starting a fight, ask if you are: Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired. If you're even two of those things, go to sleep or go to the kitchen.
Don't let your biology ruin your social life. You aren't actually a mean person; your brain is just a high-maintenance machine that needs its fuel. Next time you feel the "hangry" monster waking up, skip the apology and grab a handful of walnuts instead. Your friends and family will thank you.