I was scrolling on TikTok this week when I came across a video of a woman discovering that people feel hunger differently.
She was speaking to her husband and he said his stomach aches when he needs food, while she feels it in her throat. I never realized this before, so I spoke to an expert to find out more. Turns out, there are seven different ways of feeling hunger!
We don’t all feel hunger the same
“This is gonna blow your mind. Did you realize that we experience hunger differently?” the TikTok user said. “When we feel hunger differently we are all talking about different sensations.”
Her husband said that when he feels hangry (hungry and angry), his stomach aches from hunger which makes him mad.
“That is not at all what I experience,” she explained. “When I am hungry, I feel it in my throat. My throat wants to swallow food.”
The woman asked some of her friends how they feel hunger, and one said it’s in her nose and the front of her face.
Another girl said she feels hunger in her ears, while someone else feels it in her arms. Others just feel nauseous when they are hungry.
7 ways we can feel hunger
I spoke to Professor Franklin Joseph, who said: “The perception of hunger in different parts of the body occurs due to the complex interplay between physiological, biochemical, and neurological processes that signal the body’s need for energy and nutrients.”
Joseph said there are seven main ways people feel hunger.
1. Stomach
The most common place people feel hunger is unsurprisingly in the stomach. When it’s empty, the stomach produces a hormone called ghrelin, which sends signals to the brain to stimulate the feeling of hunger.
“Ghrelin travels to the brain, particularly to an area called the hypothalamus, which is responsible for regulating hunger and energy balance,” he explained. “The hypothalamus interprets the presence of ghrelin as a signal that the body needs food, triggering the sensation of hunger.”
2. Head
Others may feel it in their head, as the brain is highly sensitive to changes in blood glucose levels, leading to headaches, dizziness, or lightheadedness.
When blood sugar levels drop, the brain receives less glucose, which is its primary energy source. These negative symptoms are a signal that the body needs more energy.
3. Mouth
Another way people feel hunger is in the mouth, as the anticipation of eating can trigger salivation in preparation for digestion.
“Sensory cues (sight, smell, thought of food) stimulate the brain to activate salivary glands,” Joseph explained. “Additionally, a dry mouth can occur when the body needs hydration or food.”
4. Throat
A lack of food can also cause a sensation of tightness in the throat or the urge to swallow as the body increases saliva production.
Salvia activates the swallowing reflex, which is regulated by the autonomic or involuntary nervous system.
5. Low energy levels
Some may associate low energy levels as hunger, as this signals that the body’s energy stores are depleted.
“When the body lacks sufficient glucose, it conserves energy, resulting in fatigue and lethargy,” the doctor said.
6. Muscles
Similarly, some may feel the need for food in their muscles, as weakness or shakiness can occur due to low blood sugar.
Muscles require glucose for proper function. Without enough, muscle performance decreases, leading to sensations of weakness.
7. Mood
Finally, others might associate hunger with a lower mood as the brain’s need for glucose affects mood and cognitive function.
“Low glucose levels can impair neurotransmitter function and brain activity, leading to irritability, mood swings, and difficulty concentrating,” he said.
Joseph explained that the sensation of hunger in different parts of the body is a “comprehensive response” orchestrated by the body to ensure it receives the necessary nutrients and energy.
So clever!
Professor Frank Joseph is a Consultant Physician in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Internal
Medicine at the Countess of Chester Hospital, with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), an MD, and both an MRCP and FRCP from the Royal College of Physicians.
