So many times we give in to cake or French fries but then feel so sorry for our weakness when handling temptation. However, there’s more to it than simply lacking will power.
In order to better define our cravings, let’s first establish the 5 fundamental tastes our taste buds recognize most often:
|
Foods: |
Role in our body: | Balances: |
Enhances: |
|
|
SWEET |
Sugar (here you can read more on the subject), maple syrup, honey, sweet fruit, carrots, sweet corn | Provides the needed carbohydrate intake in order to assure body energy | BITTER, SOUR |
SALTY |
|
SALTY |
Salt (here you can read more information), old cheese, anchovies, soy sauce | Provides the needed intake of sodium chloride (salt) in order to balance fluids in the body | BITTER |
SWEET |
|
SOUR |
Citrus fruit (lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange etc.), vinegar, wine, sour cream, fermented milk products, fermented vegetables | Prevents toxic substances to enter the body. It detects rotten foods
|
SWEET, BITTER |
SALTY |
|
BITTER |
Dark chocolate, coffee, walnuts, bear, kale, dandelion, spinach | Prevents the ingestion of poisonous foods | SALTY, SWEET |
– |
|
UMAMI |
Soy sauce, Parmesan cheese, meat, fish, sea fruits, mushrooms, celery, tomatoes, green peas, milk (breast milk as well) | Assures the needed amount of protein the body needs to function and develop |
ADDS FLAVOR TO YOUR MEALS |
|
The above information will serve you to easier pinpoint the kind of craving you experience. However, our cravings go beyond these categories. You might feel like eating something: spicy, astringent, cold/hot, metallic, fatty, hearty, starchy and many more. (3)
What causes our cravings?
Physically related causes
- Cravings may be the result of some deficiencies. Although the research on this correlation is scarce, this hypothesis is certainly worth mentioning. Here are some examples:
| Craving: | Nutritional deficiency: | Foods rich in the lacking nutrient(s): |
| Chocolate | Magnesium | Grains, beans and legumes, nuts and seeds, leafy green vegetables |
| Sugary foods | Chrome, Carbon, Phosphorus, Sulfur, Tryptophan | Fruit (grapes, cranberry, blueberry, raisins), vegetables (broccoli, radish, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, sweet potatoes), grains, eggs, fish, dairy |
| Bread, pasta, carbohydrate | Nitrogen | Beans and legumes, nuts and seeds |
| Fatty foods | Calcium | Vegetables and leafy green vegetables, organic dairy |
| Salty foods | Chlorine, Silicon | Fish, dairy, nuts and seeds |
- Lack of sleep or altering our Circadian rhythms may be at fault for cravings. (10) Not getting enough rest determines a rise in leptin (the hunger hormone) and a decrease in ghrelin (the satiety hormone) and this ultimately makes the body crave high calorie foods in order to meet its energetic needs.
- Poor hydration may trick us into taking thirst for hunger, yet a sufficient amount of water is associated with losing weight. (11)
- Clinic depression leads to an increased appetite especially for sweet foods that serve as reward. (9) Depression treatment in particular triggers carbohydrate cravings (for sweet and fatty foods) hence determines weight gain. (8)
- Hormonal changes in the perimenstrual period may increase the urge to consume sweet foods. (12, 13) Also, females are more prone to look for the sweet taste, whereas men like the salty taste better. (14)
Psychological causes
- Experiencing some emotions (such as anxiety, stress, loneliness, sadness, inappropriateness, anger, frustration) may trigger cravings (4), mainly comfort foods based on carbohydrates (high in sugar, starch and fat) (5) with the sole purpose of releasing serotonin and surpassing the negative phase (here you can read more about the addictive effect of sugar).
- Calorie restriction may lead to a higher food intake if the craving is not fulfilled (6). In regard to limiting calorie intake, one hypothesis states that depriving ourselves of any food will be regarded as a potential starvation phase by our reptilian brain, hence it will signal our body to overeat once food is provided in order to create deposits should he experience extreme hunger.
- Our socially and culturally determined feeding behaviors are so well disguised and most of the times we aren’t even aware how they manage to sabotage us. For instance: “you have to have popcorn at the movies” or “having a soda will cool me down on a hot summer day”. We find commercial subliminal messages regarding indulging in something sweet as a reward or how easy it is to have a pre-cooked meal for dinner as normal.
Although a craving can’t be satisfied other than by eating the precise craved food, there’s no real need for us to give in any time our body feels like eating a certain food, but rather identify the craving and work on the trigger that caused it in the first place.
