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Constant Hunger: 10 Causes and How to Get Rid of It

Do you feel constantly hungry? Here we show you ten reasons why this can be and how you can prevent the constant feeling of hunger.

A constant feeling of hunger is not the same as cravings, i.e. short-term binge eating of unhealthy food. Constant hunger isn’t just a question of feeling hungry for particularly greasy, sweet or salty foods – even if you eat healthily, you can feel a constant hunger pang.

Feeling hungry is a positive thing. Hunger is an important signal from your body. If your body lacks energy and nutrients, the feeling of hunger sets in. This is triggered by the hormone ghrelin.

The causes of constant hunger range from poor nutrition to insulin resistance. Here we show you ten reasons why you could suffer from a constant feeling of hunger.

You eat too little

When you’re on a diet and eat very little, your body doesn’t have enough energy available. Therefore, it triggers a feeling of hunger. Too large a calorie deficit will not bring you long-term success. There is a risk that you will quickly fall into cravings. If you choose the right foods, you can eat your fill and still lose weight. You can find recipe inspiration here: Lose weight without feeling hungry: 3 healthy recipes.

You can find more information about how to lose weight effectively, healthily and sustainably here:

Important: For some people it makes sense to lose weight for health reasons. However, anyone who only loses weight to meet a beauty ideal is not always doing something good for their own body – and may suffer from a constant feeling of hunger.

Even if you do a lot of sport, your energy consumption increases. Because the more muscles you have, the more energy they need. If you then eat too little, you have to reckon with a constant feeling of hunger. If you’re not sure if you’re eating enough, you can calculate your energy needs and add more calories to your meals.

You eat unhealthily

Sugary foods and easily digestible carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta made from white flour or white rice can trigger almost addictive behavior. This is because the short-chain carbohydrates present in these foods are broken down into individual sugar molecules in a very short time. As a result, the blood sugar level rises quickly, but then falls again rapidly. The result: There is hardly any real, long-lasting feeling of hunger and you will quickly get hungry again.

On the other hand, dietary fiber from green vegetables or whole grain bread and proteins from legumes keep you full for longer.

Learn more about sugar withdrawal here: Sugar withdrawal: What effectively helps against sugar addiction.

A lack of protein in your diet also leads to constant hunger. Incorporating a large dose of protein into your meals will also keep you fuller for longer. In consideration of the environment, you should use more vegetable proteins instead of animal proteins.

You eat too fast

If you don’t give yourself enough time to eat, your brain will delay registering the energy intake. So you can’t tell while you’re eating whether your hunger pangs have been satisfied or not. As a result, you end up eating more than your body needs. As scientists at Osaka University have found, there is a connection between eating quickly and feeling full later. The study also showed that fast eaters were three times more likely to be overweight than those who didn’t eat fast.

When you eat slowly and chew thoroughly, your brain can sense satiety. This is the only way you will recognize your satisfied feeling of hunger.

You are thirsty

Sometimes hunger is confused with thirst. This is because hunger and thirst are both regulated by the hypothalamus. If you haven’t had a drink in too long and you’re already dehydrated, you may mistake hunger for thirst. So make sure you drink enough fluids regularly. If you feel hungry, drink water first.

You sleep too little

Lack of sleep affects your constant feeling of hunger. Sleeping too little can lead to a lack of the hormone leptin. Leptin ensures that a feeling of satiety occurs. Get enough sleep and at the same time ensure sufficient leptin production. This is a natural way to curb your hunger pangs. Seven to eight hours is recommended.

You take medication

Certain medications have the side effect of increasing your hunger pangs, particularly birth control pills, antidepressants, and cortisol supplements. The constant feeling of hunger goes away when you stop taking the medication. However, you should only do this after consulting a doctor and, if possible, have an alternative medication recommended to you.

You are stressed

A constant feeling of hunger can also be a side effect of permanent stress. When you are under stress, the hormone cortisol is released and your cortisol levels rise. You can find out how to lower your cortisol level here: Lower cortisol: The best tips against high cortisol levels. Cortisol ensures that the body is provided with more energy to deal with the stress that arises. When more energy is provided, the body cries out for new energy. Therefore, with constant stress, a constant feeling of hunger sets in. You get rid of the constant feeling of hunger when you lower your stress level. Conscious breaks, exercise, or spending time in nature can help you reduce stress.

Food on TV

You can see attractive photos depicting food everywhere. Whether on TV cooking shows, scrolling through your Instagram feed or in newspapers. As a study confirms, such images make us hungry. They create a virtual hunger. The more often you are confronted with such images, the more often the stimulus is triggered in your brain to want to eat these foods – regardless of whether your body really needs energy or not. This tasty representation of food is also called “food p*rn” because it makes you want to eat these foods. This creates a constant feeling of hunger in you.

You can consciously filter out and ignore such images. In addition, before you reach for food, you can always ask yourself whether you really have a need for energy, or whether you simply feel hungry because of “food p*rn” images.

You have an overactive thyroid

Constant hunger pangs can also be due to an overactive thyroid. Here the metabolism increases and thus also the energy requirement. So you have to eat more to cover the increased energy requirement and not suffer from constant hunger pangs.

If you suspect an overactive thyroid gland, go to the doctor and have yourself checked out.

 Insulin resistance

Another health reason for feeling hungry all the time is insulin resistance. Here, the cells do not respond or respond only weakly to insulin, a hormone that lowers blood sugar. Therefore, the pancreas produces more insulin than necessary. Insulin signals the body to eat. This creates a constant feeling of hunger.

If you suspect insulin resistance, you should see a doctor.

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Bloating, Constant Thirst, Trouble Sleeping: This is What Happens When You Eat Too Much Salt

Salt is a natural flavor enhancer and therefore indispensable in the kitchen. Unfortunately, most people eat too much of it. Too much salt can cause unpleasant symptoms that can lead to illness.

These symptoms appear when you eat too much or too little salt

Salt pulls water out of the cells to compensate for the increased salt concentration in the body, which manifests itself as thirst. The excess salt is excreted through the kidneys. In the long run, too much salt consumption can damage the kidneys. If you also drink too little, it can lead to vasoconstriction, which leads to high blood pressure. Vomiting and diarrhea are also typical symptoms, and in severe cases, the lack of water can even lead to cardiac and respiratory disorders. Physical signs of excessive salt consumption include:
Constant thirst (balance the water-salt balance by drinking)
Puffy face (salt binds water in the body, which accumulates in the cells)
weight gain (water retention)
Food tastes bland (taste buds become deadened, reduce salt intake to rejuvenate taste buds on the tongue)
Constant headaches (salt causes vasodilatation in the brain)
Kidney stones (increased salt concentration in the urine, crystals form)
High blood pressure (vasoconstriction makes the heart pump faster)
Weak immune system (low-salt diet boosts immune cells)
sleep disturbances (rise in blood pressure due to high sodium content)
Bloating (excess salt upsets fluid balance)
Too little salt in the body is of course just as unhealthy as too much salt. You can recognize sodium deficiency from symptoms that are very similar to those of excess salt: feeling unwell, headaches and muscle pain, vomiting, drowsiness, dizziness, cramps, loss of consciousness or intracranial pressure indicate a physical salt deficiency. This can be caused by frequent heavy sweating through sport or a visit to the sauna.

There is too much salt in these foods

Over 80 percent of daily salt consumption is in hidden form. Typical salt traps are ready meals such as fast food or pizza, which are not only unhealthy but also addictive. If we salt ourselves, we have a better overview of the quantity. But there are also unusual salt bombs in the daily diet. A lot of salt is hidden in these foods:
Finished products: pizza, canned meals, frozen meals, packet sauces
Sausage and meat: salami, cooked ham, meat sausage, beer ham, salmon ham
Packaged rolls and bread
Cheese: Gorgonzole, Feta, Gouda
Snacks: crackers, pretzel sticks, chips
So if you like to eat ready meals or hidden salt bombs frequently, you should take a look at the sodium content (salt content) the next time you go shopping and, for the sake of your health, opt for a lower-salt alternative.

Reduce salt consumption: low-salt alternatives

Of course, the optimal solution would be to cook for yourself several times a week in order to keep track of salt consumption. However, since many people do not want to do without certain finished products due to lack of time or lack of motivation, some lower-salt alternatives are very helpful in order not to exceed the daily dose of salt of around one teaspoon. There are these full-fledged alternatives to salt:

Finished products: Tarte flambée, tortellini, spaghetti with tomato sauce
Sausage and meat: cooked ham, turkey salami, mortadella, liver sausage or turkey breast
Cheese: cream cheese, Emmental, Camembert, mozzarella
Snacks: cheese pastries, puff pastry
Garlic has an antibacterial effect and strengthens blood circulation and the heart
Algae are the perfect source of iodine and taste salty
Celery naturally tastes salty
Soy sauce as a condiment
Yeast flakes have a cheesy note
Herbs or spice mixtures for a wide variety of dishes, completely without salt
A salt-free diet not only helps to prevent water retention in the body and thus relieves the heart, but also protects the taste buds. As a result, even a little seasoned food tastes delicious again. High blood pressure can also be reduced, and the risk of suffering a heart attack is also reduced by eating a low-salt diet.

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