Negative mood How strong does our mood depend on an empty stomach?

Bad mood because of hunger - Is that true?

Research has shown that our daily diet has a significant impact on our emotional state. Hunger also leads to emotional effects, many think. Finally, an empty stomach leads to increased irritability and bad mood. Is that true??

Interplay between biology, personality and specific environmental influences

Although a commercial that we broadcast frequently tells us that we can become a diva when we're hungry and can restore emotional peace by biting into a candy bar. But it is not that easy. As a US study published in the journal "Emotion" shows, hunger alone does not automatically lead to an irritable mood. Rather, it is an interaction between biology, personality and certain environmental influences that can spoil a hungry's mood.

An empty stomach causes many people to a bad mood and increased irritability. But neither is it the same for all people, nor is it just hunger. (Image: DDRockstar / fotolia.com)

An empty stomach can kill you

As the Federal Center for Nutrition (BZfE) reports, the scientists of the University of North Carolina conducted two online experiments with more than 400 participants.

First, the subjects reported how hungry they felt. Subsequently, the subjects were shown a picture that should trigger positive, negative or neutral feelings.

Afterwards they had the task of arranging a pictogram on a 7-level scale from pleasant to unpleasant.

It showed that hungry people, who had previously seen a clearly negative image, then rated the pictogram in the negative compared to the "saturated" group.

By contrast, there was no difference in a neutral or positive image. According to the scientists, the negative picture seems to provide the context for the negative rating.

This means that it depends on the particular situation and the environment in real life, whether the hunger brings us to the palm.

Understand hunger-triggered emotional states better

As another experiment with more than 200 participants suggests, awareness of one's own feelings is another factor.

Before the experiment, a part of the study participants should engage in a writing exercise with their emotions. Afterwards the whole group expected a staged, negative experience.

Hungry people were more stressed in the stressful situation and were more likely to be overwhelmed by their negative emotions if they had not dealt with their current emotional state prior to the experiment.

An increased awareness led to people being able to react calmly despite hunger.

According to the information, further studies are to follow in order to better understand hunger-triggered emotional states.

Presumably, in addition to the context and the "self-confidence", there are other factors that make us diva with an empty stomach - or not. (Ad)