We’ve all been there: on the days when you really just want a whole loaf of bread or a bar of dark chocolate. And sometimes when you’re tracking cravings in Clue, you might have to hit all the buttons: carbs, salty, sweet and chocolate.
Food cravings are complex experiences because they involve cognitive, emotional, behavioral and physiological aspects. High sugar and high fat foods are typically the focus of many cravings - although who doesn’t crave a massive salad from time to time?
Food cravings are common symptoms of PMS and pregnancy. There is also evidence that some people seek out comfort or junk foods during times of emotional distress (1). However, the current research is overall inconclusive about cravings’ specific link to the cycle.
Tracking cravings throughout your cycle may help you determine if cravings are part of your cycle pattern and help Clue gather more data to find global craving averages. Tracking may also help you identify other triggers for cravings, like stress.
Types of cravings
SWEET - Craving for food with high sugar content
The luteal phase (the second phase of your cycle, from ovulation to the start of your period) is shown to contribute to higher sweet cravings (2). The most well-documented cycle-linked sweet craving is for chocolate before and during the period (3-5).
SALTY - Craving for food with high salt content
There is some evidence for increased salt cravings during the luteal phase (the time from ovulation to the start of your period) (6), but other research does not support this finding (7).
CARBS - Craving for food with high carbohydrate content
There are reports of increased cravings of starchy or calorically dense carbohydrates like bread and pizza during pregnancy and the premenstrual phase (8). There is also evidence that carbohydrate cravings may have emotional cues (9).
CHOCOLATE - Craving for chocolate
The most well-documented cycle-linked sweet craving is for chocolate before and during the period (3-5). Popular hypotheses attribute perimenstrual chocolate cravings to changing levels of the ovarian hormones estrogen and progesterone, perimenstrual nutritional deficits, or the ability of specific ingredients in chocolate to alleviate symptoms of PMS/difficult menstruation.
Our Research
Clue researches each topic using biomedical, scientifically reviewed literature from MEDLINE®. A variety of scientific perspectives are incorporated to provide a comprehensive and unbiased overview of current knowledge in the field.
References
1. Troisi JD, Gabriel S, Derrick JL, Geisler A. Threatened belonging and preference for comfort food among the securely attached. Appetite. 2015;90:58-64.
2. Yen JY, Chang SJ, Ko CH, Yen CF, Chen CS, Yeh YC, et al. The high-sweet-fat food craving among women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder: emotional response, implicit attitude and rewards sensitivity. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2010;35(8):1203-12.
3. Bancroft J, Cook A, Williamson L. Food craving, mood and the menstrual cycle. Psychol Med. 1988;18(4):855-60.
4. Tomelleri R, Grunewald KK. Menstrual cycle and food cravings in young college women. J Am Diet Assoc. 1987;87(3):311-5.
5. Bowen DJ, Grunberg NE. Variations in food preference and consumption across the menstrual cycle. Physiol Behav. 1990;47(2):287-91.
6. Verma P, Mahajan KK, Mittal S, Ghildiyal A. Salt preference across different phases of menstrual cycle. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2005;49(1):99-102.
7. Kanarek RB, Ryu M, Przypek J. Preferences for foods with varying levels of salt and fat differ as a function of dietary restraint and exercise but not menstrual cycle. Physiol Behav. 1995;57(5):821-6.
8. Orloff NC, Hormes JM. Pickles and ice cream! Food cravings in pregnancy: hypotheses, preliminary evidence, and directions for future research. Front Psychol. 2014;5:1076.
9. Christensen L, Pettijohn L. Mood and carbohydrate cravings. Appetite. 2001;36(2):137-45.
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