What are Hunger Pangs?
Hunger pangs or more commonly referred as hunger pains, these are the intense contractions you feel in your stomach when you have not eaten for a few hours. They usually occur in the form of wave-like contractions along the walls of the stomach and tend to get intense as the glucose level drops in the blood. Which can lead to constant hunger pangs lasting for two to three minutes at a time?
Hunger Pangs occur when the lining of the stomach gets irritated. When we have eaten something, and it gets digested the stomach walls come closer to rub against each other. You will feel comfortable even on an empty stomach whose lining is not irritated, but in case your stomach lining is irritated, having an empty stomach will cause a painful gnawing sensation. This gnawing feeling gets relieved by eating food, and that is why it is referred to as hunger pangs. So in reality, hunger pangs are not real hunger because they are followed by pain and are one of ten forms of false hunger.
Symptoms
It is easy to mistake hunger pangs for other gastric disorders such as peptic ulcers or gastritis. Although if you happen to suffer from any of the following symptoms, then there is a high chance that you suffer from hunger pangs.
- Feeling of constant emptiness in the stomach.
- Gnawing sensations.
- Grumbling or growling in the stomach.
- Weakness or loss of energy.
- The desire to eat as soon as possible.
- Irritability.
- Mild headaches or difficulty in concentrating.
What Causes Hunger Pangs ?
There are many different causes of hunger pangs, some of them being as simple as dehydration or satiety. But there are more complex causes such as physiological, psychological, pregnancy and emotional factors which lead to hunger pangs.
Physiological
The physiological factors include a decrease in glucose level in the blood especially in patients with diabetes or decrease in body temperature as well as stomach contractions. In the same way, some physiological factors such as eating habits or routines can bring on hunger pangs even if your stomach is full.
Pregnancy
Another leading cause of hunger pangs in pregnancy in women. A pregnant woman will feel constant hunger pangs as the body is telling her to eat more to fulfil the nourishment needs of her growing child.
Emotional factors
Emotional factors such as stress or boredom can also cause a person to eat more than required and some people even argue that hunger pangs are one of the biggest reasons for being overweight. People especially teenagers are more prone to eating more when they are upset.
Desire
One cause of hunger pangs may often go unnoticed because it is related to just looking at food. That is why many patients experience hunger pains after watching an advertisement of different foods on television. Similarly, the sense of smell can also trigger this condition as patients experience hunger pangs after they have smelled their favourite food.
How to Stop Hunger Pangs After Eating
The reason a person experiences hunger pangs are when the level of Ghrelin Hormone increases in the blood stream as it sends signals to the brain to eat more. So ideally if you are able to keep the Ghrelin level stable, you won’t feel hungry so often. The Ghrelin hormone is released when the stomach is empty, setting off a chain reaction in the body to make you feel hungry.
Apart from being on an empty stomach, there are few other reasons why Ghrelin level may increase in your body. These include eating greasy or fatty foods, consuming few calorie foods or drinking alcohol.
In the next step, we will discuss how to prevent the Ghrelin level from increasing and thus avoiding hunger pangs.
Prevention
Here are some strategies to keep the Ghrelin hormone in check and avoiding all the triggering factors.
Eat on a Schedule
Several studies have shown that Ghrelin level rises and fall at your usual meal times. So if you eat on a schedule, any spiking in its level will be prevented. However, in reality, it's not possible to eat at the same time each day, and in this scenario, you can eat a little something to keep your stomach satisfied until you get a chance to have your meal. Eating a fruit or some almonds or dry nuts can not only help with hunger pain but also provide nutrients which are essential to our health.
Stay Hydrated
Drinking 6-8 glasses of water is not only essential for our skin and blood circulation, but it also helps to prevent stomach pains. It is common for people to mistake thirst for hunger. It’s always a good idea to drink a glass of water and see if you still feel hungry afterwards.
Have a Balanced Breakfast
People who have a substantial breakfast which has a high-calorie intake tend to produce 33 percent less ghrelin during the day, and they felt more satisfied during the day. Always try including a small portion of fruit and yogurt along with whole wheat products in your breakfast each day to gain maximum benefit.
Eat High Volume but Low-Calorie Food
Foods such as green leafy fruits and vegetables have a higher water content, but they constitute low calories. So when you feel hungry, try to eat more foods like watermelons, oranges, salads and soups which are low in calories but can be consumed in higher quantities. This will help send signals to your brain that you have had enough to eat and will stop your Ghrelin levels from rising.
Eat Proteins
Consume more protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs and soy products as they will help to suppress the Ghrelin levels and also create a long-lasting feeling of fullness. Adding whey into smoothies and shakes also contribute to containing Ghrelin levels for extended periods.
Eat Carbs Carefully
We know that our body produces insulin to keep our blood sugar level normal. So after you have finished your meal, your insulin level goes up to clear the sugars from your system and at the same time your ghrelin level goes down. When eating carbohydrates, it is important to eat a meal rich in complex carbs as the body takes longer to break them down, so you feel full for longer. But if you are consuming carbs which are refined, they will be broken down quickly in the body, and the insulin levels will go down quickly after clearing sugars from the blood. This, in turn, will cause the ghrelin level to rise again, and you will start to feel hungry again.
There will be a constant battle between insulin and ghrelin if refined carbs are frequently consumed thus causing havoc on your metabolism. In order to maintain a balance between the insulin and ghrelin levels, only complex carbohydrates should be consumed in our diet.
Exercise
Exercising not only helps to keep us in good shape but also helps in releasing endorphins which are natural body chemicals which create a sense of well being. It also helps reduce stress and avoid the feeling of boredom. Regular exercise can contribute to maintaining a routine and help your body feel more balanced and relaxed.
Green Tea
There are so many benefits of having green tea after a heavy meal especially after dinner including staving off hunger and accelerating weight loss. It's a splendid idea to add 2-3 cups of green tea in your daily diet.
Other additional benefits of consuming green tea include lowering cholesterol and eliminating its absorption in the body.
Avoid Eating in front of TV
Research has shown that millions of people eat their dinner late night in front of their TV. When you are not looking for your meal and are distracted, you are in danger of eating more than you need. Studies have also shown that if you eat your lunch in front of the computer screen, you don’t remember what you have eaten and get hungry sooner. And because of this, you tend to look for snacks to eat such as biscuits or crisps.
Add Vinegar
Last but not the least, pass on the salad dressing and add vinegar to your salad instead. It is known to help the digestion of food. Vinegar allows the food to stay in the digestive system for a longer period of time, in turn reducing the hunger hormone Ghrelin.And that’s not all vinegar helps to prevent a rise in blood sugar levels and reduce cravings for up to three hours after a meal has been consumed.
Conclusion
The best way to keep hunger pangs at bay is to keep ghrelin and insulin levels in balance. Spiking of either hormone leads to a desire to eat food. Adapting a balanced lifestyle is a key to staying fit and healthy. However, if you still feel that after applying all the prevention methods discussed above, you continue to have hunger pangs, it is recommended that you consult a doctor or nutritionist.