'Being hangry is real': New study says there is a link between hunger and anger

If you are someone who gets angry if you haven't eaten, also known as "hangry," a new study says you aren't being irrational.

The findings, published in the peer-reviewed journal Plos One on Wednesday, come from one of the first studies to examine the relationship of hunger and anger, Viren Swami, lead author and social psychology professor at Anglia Ruskin University in the U.K., told USA TODAY via email.

Swami said he became interested in understanding the "hangry" phenomenon after his wife told him he would behave that way but wasn't sure if it was real.

"I have an interest in the effects of hunger and eating on our well-being and behaviors, so this seemed like a natural extension, especially as there has been very little research on the topic," he said.

To understand the relationship between the two, researchers had 64 people throughout Europe record their levels of hunger and emotion well-being five times a day over three weeks.

Researchers then examined the results, and though they had to factor in a person's sex, age, diet and body mass index, the results were the same: People were angry and irritable when they didn't eat. .

"We show, for the first time in a non-laboratory, real-world setting, that feeling hungry is associated with greater anger, irritability and lower levels of pleasure," Swami said.

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The data showed hunger was associated with 37% of changes in irritability, 34% in anger and 38% in pleasure, which suggested the emotions were caused by fluctuations in hunger.

"Being hangry is real," the study reads.

Though researchers were able to associate negative emotions with hunger, it is unclear why hunger could sway emotions. Researchers suggested low blood glucose levels could be triggering irritability, or people could be annoyed or irritated quicker than usual when hungry.

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Swami said further research is needed to understand hangry and noted that feelings of positivity weren't recorded when participants did eat. More studies could analyze the feelings in different populations and whether there are different levels of the emotion. A 2018 study published by the American Psychological Association found environmental cues and a person's emotional awareness are factors.

Regardless, Swami wants people to know that if they say they feel hangry, they should feel validated.

"Our findings also have important implications that touch on political, social and economic issues: No one should go hungry because of the negative outcomes of hunger."

Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is 'hangry' real? New study says you do get angry when hungry