Science & Technology

'Hanger' is a genuine emotion, says scientist

By T.K. Randall
May 7, 2018 ·  11 comments

Have you been 'hangry' lately ? Image Credit: CC BY 4.0 OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology "We've long recognised that hunger leads to irritability in science," said Sophie Medlin, a lecturer in nutrition and dietetics from King's College, London. "But the wonderful world of social media has merged the two words for us and now we know it as hanger."

"When our blood sugars drop, cortisol and adrenaline rise up in our bodies - our fight or flight hormones."

These hormones trigger the release of small, protein-like molecules known as neuropeptides which affect how our brain works."The ones that trigger for hunger are the same ones that trigger for anger and rage and impulsive type behaviors," said Medlin. "So that's why you get that same sort of response."

Reduced levels of glucose in the brain when we are hungry, she added, can also make it more difficult for us to control our emotions or to concentrate on specific tasks.

The word 'hangry' even managed to make it in to the Oxford English Dictionary earlier this year.

Whether it's something that will make it in to our everyday vocabulary however remains to be seen.

Source: Deccan Chronicle | Comments (11)

Tags: Hanger