Ask anyone what foods they crave, and most people will be able to reel off at least a couple of items without hesitation.Those freaks of nature who dont have food cravings might say that itsall in your head, and Iwill admitresearch suggests theyre right. These areas are partially to blame for keeping food cravings coming, as theyappear to be activated during food-craving episodes, according to new research from the Monell Chemical Senses Center. When they ran tests on thebrain, it wassuggested that the memory areas responsible for associating a specific food with a reward, are actually more important to food cravings than the brains own reward center.
The Brain & Cravings
Three regions of the brain: the hippocampus, insula, and caudate are responsible for memory and sensing pleasure. These areas are partially to blame for keeping food cravings coming, as they appear to be activated during food-craving episodes, according to new research from the Monell Chemical Senses Center. When they ran tests on the brain, it was suggested that the “memory areas” responsible for associating a specific food with a reward, are actually more important to food cravings than the brain’s own reward center.
Blocking the opiate receptors in the brain that sense pleasure, can blunt theses desires to eat foods rich in fat and sugar, according to the University of Washington.
Emotional Cravings
Physiological reasons are not the only form of food cravings, as they often have something to do with emotion and desire. Cravings often arise to satisfy emotional needs, such as calming stress and reducing anxiety.
For many, cravings kick into high gear when we’re stressed or anxious. Carbohydrates boost our levels of the hormone serotonin, which has a calming effect on the brain and body, and recent research suggests that the combination of fat and sugar may also have the same effect.
One study I have found particularly interesting, was performed by researchers from the University of California at San Francisco. Their team put rats in a high-stress environment and discovered two key points:
- Stressed-out rats preferred to eat sugar and fat
- When the rats ate fat and sugar, their brains produced less of the stress-related hormones (the ones that trigger the fight-or-flight response).
I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people tell me that they CURSE those awful carbohydrate foods they tend to crave. If I ask them what “carb” foods they mean, most name:
- Potato chips
- French fries
- Chocolate
- Ice Cream
- Chocolate Chip cookies
- Mac & Cheese
What you need to understand is when you crave these foods, you’re not just craving carbs, you’re craving fat too! Cravings that are spurred by emotions are typically for foods containing fat, sugar, or both.
Don’t believe me? To illustrate my point, take a “nutritional look” at the top foods people say they crave, and you’ll see that almost every food contains more calories from fat than from carbs.
Food Cravings % calories
from Fat% calories
from CarbsChocolate Chip Cookie 50% 46% Macaroni & Cheese 46% 37% Milk Chocolate Candy Bar 51% 46% Dove Chocolate Ice Cream Bar 57% 42% French Fries 44% 50% Potato Chips 56% 40% Cravings & What Our Bodies REALLY Need
Quite often we misinterpret our body’s signal for thirst as a signal of hunger. So this means whenever you feel hungry, first, try drinking a large glass of water, as many times this will give your body exactly what it wants and it will alleviate the craving. Some experts estimate that up to 80% of the population is chronically dehydrated, so first start with water before you try to decipher your cravings.
Chocolate Cravings
If you crave chocolate, it doesn’t mean your body has a chocolate deficiency. Chocolate is however high in magnesium, so these cravings could indicate that your body is deficient in magnesium, which is a common deficiency.
If you’re going to eat chocolate, choose organic cacao or dark cocoa. Just remember, this is unlikely to deal with a magnesium deficiency, so it’s also important to eat other foods high in magnesium, such as nuts, seeds, fish, and leafy greens.
Sweet Cravings
If you crave sweets you could be experiencing blood sugar fluctuations. When your blood sugar drops, your body will try to get you to give it more fuel to help keep your blood sugar levels stable. If this is also a chronic occurrence, you may have a condition known as hypoglycemia, which simply means low blood sugar.
When managing sugar cravings, it is important to choose the right type of food to bring your body back into balance. Giving in to cookies, cakes, candies, or other refined sweets will only make the problem worse and cause a blood sugar roller coaster that leads to more cravings.
Instead, choose a piece of fruit when you’re craving sweets, and add more high-fiber foods to your day like beans & legumes, and complex carbohydrates like whole grains. These will give you the fuel you need, without blood sugar spikes. If you’re really struggling with sugar cravings, you may also want to add supplements to your day, specifically the mineral chromium, as it helps to regulate blood sugar levels and ward off cravings.
We have ALL been there. That moment your entire body pushes you to eat something you know you shouldn’t have. With every fiber of your being, you try to resist that food item, yet it seems no matter what you do or tell yourself, you end up succumbing to the urge.
See full story on thescienceofeating.com
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