I’m sorry…. but I was ‘Hangry”

It’s an age old phenomena that we’ve all experienced. Being snappy, cranky or tired when having a lack of food. However, over a morning meeting here at Hampr we got into a little discussion whether there is actually any science behind being “hangry” or if its just placebo.

The marketing team were confident that it is placebo — of course the marketers think that their black magic can convince us to buy anything..

On the other-hand one of our co-founders — ‘Software Engineer’ Steve, believed that there is some science behind being ‘hangry’. He recalls that back during his uni days he would get frustrated over complicated code — unless he got himself a snickers bar. He always boasts that software engineers are the most logical people around and uses this argument to make us all believe him. (Don’t let his ego distract you from the fact that without his beard, Steve would look like he’s in highschool).

Well…………. After a quick google check it turns out Steve knows a little bit more than Javascript. In actual fact the main reason we become impatient and irritable when we are hungry is due to low blood glucose levels, this is associated with a difficult to concentrate and an increase in crankiness. Amanda Salis (USYD) says that unlike most other organs and tissues in your body which can use a variety of nutrients to keep functioning, your brain is critically dependent on glucose to do its job. When your blood glucose levels start to drop you may find it hard to concentrate and may make silly mistakes.

Even more interestingly our blood glucose levels can effect how we feel about the people we love. So while you may be able to conjure up enough brain power to avoid being grumpy with the boss, you may let your guard down and inadvertently snap at the people you are most relaxed with or care most about…kind of weird hey!

So next time someone’s being a bit sharp with you, take their hand and lead them to the nearest food store and watch them become your best friend again. Or if you don’t want your head bitten off on the walk to get food, you can always have the food come to you with Hampr.

If you have any interesting Hangry facts (or even funny stories) — leave a comment below or send us an email at social@hampr.com.au