While dieters grumble about being constantly hungry, new research has shown that being in a state of hunger can actually make you happy.

Grehlin is a hormone that our bodies produce when we are in need of more calories and creates that feeling of hunger we all know too well. Yet a study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience has found that hunger may in fact just be a side-effect of grehlin’s primary role in the body as a stress-buster.

Scientists believe that hunger-induced happiness has been an adaptive process from our cave-dwelling days, when our ancestors would have to be in a clear state of readiness and concentration to hunt for dinner, rather than becoming dinner for a predator. So while hunger is related to rising levels of grehlin, the hormone’s primary role in the body appears to be combating stress for survival.

Researchers manipulated levels of grehlin in mice, thought to be effective analogues for humans, and showed that mice with lower levels of the hormone were more susceptible to depression and inactivity, while those with higher levels were more energetic, eager and much more social. So as the grehlin levels rise, so does the hunger, but so do our moods, energy and levels of social interaction.

This could go some way to explaining the common problem of overeating during times of acute stress in humans. Hunger, which acts as a stressor causing the grehlin levels to rise in our bodies, is not the only trigger – social stressors can also cause a spike in this hormone. Where normally we would reach for a stress-busting snack, research shows that if we can avoid this, grehlin levels will remain high and help us deal with the stressor in a calm and effective way.

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