You know the feeling: You were in a rush out the door and skipped breakfast, or maybe you have a huge dinner planned so you’re skimping on your usual afternoon snacks. Slowly but surely, your plain old hunger turns into a simmering grouchiness and you’re officially “hangry.”
While it’s not yet a valid defense in court, hanger is a real, physiological phenomenon. When the body is deprived of blood glucose — which happens when you haven’t eaten recently — the brain receives all kinds of signals to behave aggressively. Here’s what’s really going on when your empty stomach triggers that rage-y feeling in your head.
