Home WebMail Friday, November 1, 2024, 09:29 PM | Calgary | -2.1°C | Regions Advertise Login | Our platform is in maintenance mode. Some URLs may not be available. |
Posted: 2015-08-05T20:33:45Z | Updated: 2015-08-05T20:38:19Z

What happens to your body if you go without food?

After about six hours, you could start feeling "hangry" -- that's hungry and angry. Keep going for about 72 hours (or three days) and not only will your mood and energy suffer, but also your body.

"Your brain will start to break down your body's own protein ," Mitchell Moffit, co-creator of the YouTube series ASAPScience , says in a new video (above). "The proteins release amino acids, which can be converted into glucose, which is great news for your brain but bad news for your body. Basically, your body is cannabilizing itself by destroying your muscle mass."

Yikes. Within a few weeks, the body's immune system is weakened and susceptible to disease. Starvation could result in death in as quickly as three weeks.

The science of starvation may shed light on global hunger -- around 795 million people worldwide suffer from hunger. But there's hope, as the world has seen a reduction in hunger and undernourishment in the past quarter-century, the Associated Press reported.

The video was produced in partnership with the Global Citizen, a platform aimed at ending extreme poverty by 2030. To take action against world hunger, check out the Global Citizen's website .