Do you experience severe abdominal/stomach pain when you are hungry? Some people n ever get a hunger pain in their life and then other experience it even when they ate not too long ago. Why is this? People get hunger pangs or hunger pains for several different reasons but it really comes down to insulin! Everyone gets a release of the hunger hormone ghrelin when their body needs energy however thee way it interacts with insulin determines whether or not you will be getting these extremely uncomfortable pains.
The brain triggers the release of ghrelin in response to an empty stomach or in anticipation of the next meal.
Ghrelin signals the body to release stomach acids to digest food. If food is not consumed and therefor the stomach is empty, the acids begin to attack the lining of the stomach, causing hunger pains.
Hunger pangs can happen even when the body does not need calories. For example you already ate pretty well today yet you are still experiencing pain. This is because ghrelin interacts with insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar. Falling levels of insulin cause ghrelin, and therefore hunger, levels to rise. Junk food contains high amounts of sugar and simple carbs. Eating it causes a spike in insulin levels, followed by a quick drop. Ghrelin then increases, even though the food was consumed only an hour or so beforehand. Because of this, if you are eating a lot of small snacks or junk foods throughout the day (say you are busy and on the go) you may find yourself experience this hunger symptom.
Something I have come to ‘study’ on my own end is why some days I can eat terrible or not much at all yet I only get a growling stomach (no pain) but then on other days I eat the same way and get horrible pain. Why is this?
What I have found (and studies confirm this) is that when your metabolism is revved up and you’re eating snacks or simple carbs throughout the day, your insulin is spiking then dropping causing ghrelin to be released. Because your metabolism is running quickly, you are burning through your food at a much quicker rate in response to blood sugar spikes and this causes much greater pains/symptoms. For example, if you drink matcha green tea (or even coffee) which we all know to be very metabolic enhancing and then also eat snacks or simple carbs, you can find yourself experiencing more hunger pains that you don’t normally get. Working out can having the metabolism boosting effect too! So essentially, on days where you had a matcha, coffee, exercised or did something else to boost your metabolism, your chance of getting hunger pains that day is greater if you’re not eating a blood sugar balancing diet!4. The environment
It is also worthwhile to mention that some people do experience pangs in response to smells and sights which simulate the hunger senses. Many people have a physical response to the smell of freshly baked goods or cooking and ghrelin gets released as a result. Images of food on T.V. or online can also cause the mouth to water. This type of hunger is usually not based on a need for food, however it causes very real physical symptoms, including hunger pains.
Another thing that can causes imbalances in insulin is sleep deprivation. It appears that hunger pains may be linked to a lack of sleep or poor-quality sleep. Lack of sleep increases the effects of a chemical that makes eating sweet, salty, and high-fat foods more appealing, a 2016 study suggests. The sleep-deprived study participants ate a meal containing 90 percent of their daily calories but were unable to resist junk foods just 2 hours later. So on days where you didn’t sleep as well and now you’re having a matcha to keep you awake and you’re grabbing something high in starch to wake you up, you have the highest chance of getting hunger pains that day! Hunger pangs may be caused by medical conditions in rare cases. This is true for people with diabetes, as hunger increases when blood sugar crashes.
It can indicate an infection or digestive illness that requires medical attention if pains occur alongside other symptoms. Look out for symptoms, such as:
- diarrhea
- dizziness
- fever
- headaches
- nausea
- vomiting
- weakness
What To Do To Prevent Hunger Pains From Developing
To alleviate hunger pains, especially when dieting, people can try the following:
- Eat at regular intervals: Ghrelin is released in response to what someone’s usual mealtimes are. Sticking to a schedule will ensure food reaches the stomach in time to meet the stomach acid released in response to ghrelin spikes. I also suggest having healthy snacks such as fruit or nuts when outside the home, in case it is not possible to eat a full meal at a designated meal time.
- Choose Nutrient-dense foods: To keep your blood sugar regular and avoid insulin dips, consume lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and veggies, healthy fats and fiber (flax, chia, etc). try limiting your intake of high sugar foods, foods high in salt or saturated and trans fats and refined carbs.
- Fill Up on low calorie foods: Many lower calorie foods take up space in the stomach yet do not contribute to weight gain. Foods such as cucumber, celery, salads, smoothies, berries, etc. This can help keep you full longer without causing you to overeat. A full stomach will cause levels of ghrelin to drop, which alleviates hunger pains.
- Stay hydrated: take sips of water throughout the day and drink lots of herbal teas. Limit diuretic drinks such as alcohol, caffeine, energy drinks, etc.
- Get Good quality Sleep: Sleeping 8 hours each night (with your circadian rhythm) can help to reduce sugar and carb cravings and can help to keep blood sugar more stable preventing insulin dips and ghrelin secretion.
What To Do to Stop Them Quickly
If you have started to develop hunger pains and want them to stop quickly before they get out of control, here is what to do! Once food is consumed, hunger pains and other hunger symptoms usually go away but it takes time for the body to signal insulin and ghrelin to balance out.
In order to increase insulin quickly and decrease ghrelin and alleviate the symptoms, eat something “sugary” such as a banana quickly to help with the pain. Eating simple carbs or starchy foods will help quickly spike up blood sugar to stop the pain. Then you can add in a protein bar or healthy fats to keep it more stable. If you have hunger pains and you eat a handful of nuts, while that is a great choice, your hunger pains will last longer until insulin can kick up.