The science behind being 'hangry'

  • 27/07/2015

Hangry is a term given to someone who gets annoyed and irritated by almost everything and everyone because they haven't had anything to eat.

But why does it happen? 

Nanotech scientist Dr Michelle Dickinson this morning joined Paul Henry to discuss how stress hormones are "released when you have low blood-glucose levels".

"This makes you respond to things in a different way, specifically with your partner or friends."

However this irritable reaction doesn’t happen to everyone – Dr Dickinson says that if you eat complex carbohydrates and high proteins "you don't have to have massive sugar highs in your brain", and can avoid being hangry.

Watch the video for the full interview.

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