WEBVTT - Is Hangry a Real Emotion?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain stuff from how stuff works, Hey, brain stuff,

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<v Speaker 1>Lauren Vogel bomb here. Many of us are familiar with

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<v Speaker 1>the feelings that low blood sugar produces. Crankiness sets in.

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<v Speaker 1>Some of us get abusive, others downright hostile. Usually a

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<v Speaker 1>glass of juice, a candy bar, or some other well

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<v Speaker 1>timed snack clears this honest to goodness condition colloquially called

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<v Speaker 1>being angry, a cross between hungry and angry. I call it.

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<v Speaker 1>You wouldn't like me when I'm hungry? But why does

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<v Speaker 1>hanggar happen? Some people have good self control and others don't.

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<v Speaker 1>In recent years, scientists have linked self control to nutrition.

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<v Speaker 1>They say self control requires energy. If your body is

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<v Speaker 1>mining for energy and finds done well, self control goes

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<v Speaker 1>out the window. It all comes down to the amount

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<v Speaker 1>of glucose our body's process. The human body is a

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<v Speaker 1>machine made of meat. Like all machines, it needs fuel.

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<v Speaker 1>That fuel comes in the form of glucose, a a

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<v Speaker 1>blood sugar. Our bodies convert the carbohydrates and the foods

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<v Speaker 1>we eat into glucose. The body then stores some of

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<v Speaker 1>that glucose in the liver and muscles as glycogen and

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<v Speaker 1>stores some as fat. When our blood sugar is low,

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<v Speaker 1>the hypothalamus, the portion of the brain involved in hormone production,

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<v Speaker 1>among other things, gets bent out of shape, throwing the

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<v Speaker 1>body's hormones out of whack and suppressing serotonin. A neurotransmitter.

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<v Speaker 1>Serotonin has a hand in controlling mood and appetite. It's

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<v Speaker 1>often called the feel good neurotransmitter because it can relieve

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<v Speaker 1>symptoms of depression and anxiety. If your body stops processing serotonin,

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<v Speaker 1>your mood can shift. You can get tired or forget things.

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<v Speaker 1>Your concentration becomes poor. You might even get angry. Still,

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<v Speaker 1>your blood sugar has to drop like a rock, from

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<v Speaker 1>seventy to a hundred milligrams per desilet to less than

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<v Speaker 1>fifty five milligrams per DESI leader for the hangar games

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<v Speaker 1>to begin. In a study published in the journal p

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<v Speaker 1>n a S confirmed the people really do get hangry.

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<v Speaker 1>The researchers studied whether low glucose levels were responsible for

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<v Speaker 1>greater aggression in married couples. The scientists studied a hundred

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<v Speaker 1>and seven couples and monitored their glucose levels twice a

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<v Speaker 1>day for twenty one days to measure their aggressive impulses.

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<v Speaker 1>The researchers asked each person to stick between zero and

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<v Speaker 1>fifty one pins into a voodoo style doll representing their spouse,

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<v Speaker 1>with more pins representing greater anger. When the three weeks

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<v Speaker 1>were up, the researchers asked each couple to play a

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<v Speaker 1>game designed to measure aggression. The scientists allowed the winner

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<v Speaker 1>of the game to blast the loser with loud noise

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<v Speaker 1>as both sat in separate chambers. There was a catch, however,

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<v Speaker 1>each person wasn't actually turning up the volume. Regardless, those

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<v Speaker 1>participants with low glucose levels believed they were hammering their

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<v Speaker 1>spouses with high decibels of irritating noise. The authors concluded

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<v Speaker 1>results suggest that interventions designed to provide individuals with metabolic

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<v Speaker 1>energy might foster more harmonious couple interactions. In other words,

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<v Speaker 1>eat some carbs before you argue. And this study was

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<v Speaker 1>just one of several linking self control to glucose levels

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<v Speaker 1>in the brain. Another study concluded that those who drank

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<v Speaker 1>a beverage high in glucose were less aggressive than those

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<v Speaker 1>who did not. Still, another study found an indirect relationship

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<v Speaker 1>between diabetes, which is marked by poor glucose metabolism, aggressiveness

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<v Speaker 1>and decreased self control. Although causation is always hard to

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<v Speaker 1>pin down, these studies suggested that a spoonful of sugar

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<v Speaker 1>helps diminish violent or aggressive behavior in the short term.

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<v Speaker 1>Of course, consuming too much sugar and other simple carbohydrates

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<v Speaker 1>can lead to poor glucose metabolism in the long run,

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<v Speaker 1>so while a cookie maybe a quick fix if you

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<v Speaker 1>need to focus, it's best overall to consume balanced meals

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<v Speaker 1>and snacks containing enough protein and fats along with those

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<v Speaker 1>sweet carbs to keep your blood sugar nice and even.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's episode was written by John Paritano and produced by

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