The body relies on food for energy. When you feel hungry, that is a signal from the body that it requires food. After eating to satisfaction, hunger goes away temporarily. However, a person may feel as though they are hungry all the time, even a few minutes after eating.
Many of us can feel full for hours after eating before having the feeling of hunger. However, this is not the case for everyone because there are people who feel hungry all the time.
Well, this is not normal. If you always feel extreme hunger all the time, you need to see a doctor because this can be a sign of a medical condition that requires attention.
Below are reasons why you feel hungry all the time.
Contents
1. Low Blood Sugar
Low blood sugar is also called hypoglycemia. This condition occurs when glucose in the body drops to low levels. Hypoglycemia is common in people with diabetes and other health conditions, such as neuroendocrine tumors in the pancreas, hepatitis, kidney disorders, and problems with the pituitary or adrenal glands.
Furthermore, people with low blood sugar have trouble communicating and walking. Other symptoms of hypoglycemia include:
- Pale skin
- Sweating
- Anxiety
- Tangling around the mouth
- Abnormal heart rhythm.
2. Type 2 Diabetes
When you have type 2 diabetes, you feel persistent or extreme hunger. If your diabetes is uncontrolled, the glucose stays in the blood instead of reaching the cells. This will make you feel hungry and tired all the time. Furthermore, when you have type 2 diabetes, you eat large amounts of food and still lose weight.
- The common symptoms of type 2 diabetes include:
- Vision challenges
- Increased thirst
- Unexplained weight loss
- Frequent urination
- Wounds or cuts taking longer to heal.
3. Eating a Low Protein Diet
Taking adequate protein is essential for hunger control. Taking foods rich in protein such as fish, lean meats, or daily products will help you curb hunger well.
Protein contains hunger-curbing properties that help you consume fewer calories. It does this by increasing the production of hormones that signal fullness and reducing the production of hunger-stimulating hormones.
If you are not eating adequate protein, your body will produce more hunger-stimulating hormones, making you feel hungry often. There are different foods high in protein and it is not hard to get them through your diet.
Foods rich in protein include poultry, lean meats, fish and seafood, and dairy products. Moreover, you can find this nutrient in plant-based foods like nuts, legumes, whole grains, and seeds.
4. You Don’t Drink Enough Water
Hydration is important for your health. Staying hydrated provides many benefits, such as relieving fatigue, promoting healthy skin, enhancing good gut health, flushing out toxins, improving brain function, increasing your energy levels, and many more.
The signs of dehydration include:
- Feeling dizzy and tired
- Peeling less or having dark-colored pee
- Feeling thirsty
- Dry lips, mouth, and eyes
- Strong-smelling pee
- Headache
Drinking water an hour before meals reduces appetite and can help with metabolism. Water plays an important role in your digestive system and you may feel hungry frequently if you don’t drink enough water.
To ensure you are well hydrated, take at least 7 to 8 glasses of water a day and eat plenty of water-rich foods. Water-rich foods include vegetables and fruits. Therefore, drink adequate water because it has appetite-reducing properties.
5. You eat a Low-Fiber Diet
If your diet doesn’t have enough fiber and protein, you feel hungry frequently. Eating foods high in fiber will help you curb hunger and go for hours without eating.
Foods high in fiber take longer to digest than low fiber foods. That explains why you don’t feel hungry frequently after eating foods such as beans, popcorn, brown rice, whole grains, nuts, sweet potatoes, oranges, Brussels sprouts, and oranges.
It is good to know that there are different types of fiber and some are better than others in curbing hunger. For instance, soluble fiber is more filling than insoluble fiber.
Other than curbing hunger, a high-fiber diet has other health benefits such as reduced risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
6. Eating too Many Refined Carbs
Most refined carbs are processed and stripped off their essential vitamins, fiber, and minerals. Refined carbs lack fiber, making the body digest them easily. This is why you feel hungry minutes after eating foods like candy and baked goods, as they don’t promote feelings of fullness. Eating refined carbs rapidly spikes your blood sugar, leading to increased insulin.
When more insulin is released in response to high blood sugar, more sugar from your blood is removed fast. This makes your blood sugar levels drop suddenly, a condition called hypoglycemia.
If refined carbs are a regular part of your diet, you will feel hungry often. You can reduce or replace refined carb intake with nutrient-rich foods, such as legumes, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, fiber, and protein.
These foods will help curb hunger and provide other health benefits.
7. Lack of Sleep
Adequate sleep is important for your health. For your brain and immune system to be strong, you need enough sleep and rest. Not getting enough sleep affects the hormones that control hunger in your body. Most individuals who are sleep-deprived have a bigger appetite and find it hard to feel full.
Furthermore, sleep plays an important role in appetite control, as it regulates ghrelin, an appetite-stimulating hormone. Not getting enough sleep increases ghrelin levels, making you feel hungry every time.
Also, adequate sleep will enhance the production of adequate leptin that promotes a feeling of fullness. To manage your hunger levels well, try getting at least 8 hours of peaceful sleep each night.
Sleep disruption has been linked to many serious health conditions, including obesity, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, and many more.
8. Medications
Some medications can affect the body’s hunger signals and metabolism as a side effect. For instance, certain medications such as mood stabilizers, olanzapine, clozapine, antipsychotics, antisezure drugs, and corticosteroids can make you feel hungrier than normal.
If you start gaining weight since you started taking certain medications, the new medication could be making you hungry. You should talk to your doctor to find other options or change the dosage that works for you.
9. You are Stressed
Stress is one of the factors that increase stress. When you are anxious or tensed, the body releases cortisol, a hormone that promotes food cravings and hunger. Stressed people crave foods higher in fat and sugar where these foods only offer instant energy that can’t last for hours.
The common symptoms of stress include:
- Digestive and stomach problems
- High blood pressure
- Headaches and dizziness
- Feeling like the heart is racing
- Trouble having sex
- Muscle tension
- Finding it difficult to sleep
There are different ways that can reduce stress levels, including:
- Deep breathing
- Chew gum
- Take supplements that enhance anxiety and stress reduction
- Spend time with friends and family
- Laugh
- Reduce caffeine intake.
10. Drinking too Much Alcohol
Alcohol has appetite-stimulating effects that make a person feel hungry often. It reduces the production of hormones that enhance fullness. Recently, studies have shown that alcohol inhibits leptin – a hormone that reduces appetite. This makes you feel hungry often if you take too much alcohol.
Other than making you hungrier, alcohol impairs the brain’s self-control and judgment. This makes you eat more and it can easily lead to obesity.
You can reduce the hunger-inducing effects of alcohol by drinking it moderately or avoiding it completely.
11. How much do You Exercise?
Those who engage in workouts or physical activities burn a lot of calories. For the body to regain the energy and nutrients, you have to take enough food and adequate rest. Exercise boosts metabolism but it can increase hunger in some individuals.
Long-term, vigorous exercisers tend to have more appetite than non-exercises. To prevent excess hunger from exercise, you have to eat more to enhance your workouts. You should eat foods rich in protein, fiber, and fats. These foods will help you feel less hungry even after vigorous exercise.
If you get hungrier when you exercise, you can reduce the time you spend exercising or minimize the workout intensity. This will balance energy consumption in the body.
Wrapping Up
Many reasons can make a person feel hungry all the time. It’s not bad to feel hungry, but it becomes a problem when you feel hungry even after eating. This can be caused by an imbalance of hunger hormones due to certain lifestyle habits or inadequate diet.
If your diet lacks fiber, protein, fat, fiber, and essential minerals, you will feel hungry frequently. A balanced diet enhances fullness and reduces appetite, making you eat less.
You can reduce feelings of hunger by making the following changes:
- Staying hydrated
- Take a diet with enough fiber, protein, and fat
- Reduce sugar and salt intake
- Quit alcohol consumption or drink in moderation
- Avoid processed and fried foods
- Avoid sweetened drinks and foods.
If you make the dietary changes and still feel constant hunger or unexplained weight loss, it is good you see a doctor.