Oreo cheesecake, the Swedish pancakes my mom made on Saturday mornings, sausage pizza from Valentino’s, smoky barbeque chips, and dripping caramel cinnamon rolls from TJ’s in my hometown—these indulgent goodies have been some of my fave cravings over the years. Growing up, I often heard the narrative that cravings were a sign of weak willpower. Little did I know, there’s a more complex story behind our food desires, a story that I learned more about as I entered into the world of nutrition.
Let’s unravel the nuances behind cravings and how it goes beyond the narrative of weak willpower. Let’s look at six undeniable truths that take the mystery out of cravings, and show what our bodies may be communicating.
1. Hyperpalatable Foods
Several hundred years ago, nutrient-dense foods were the norm. We ate foods grown near our home and then cooked at home. Today, we often buy frozen meals from the grocery store, that are then heated up in the microwave, or buy food from a fast food restaurant. These modern foods are made to be very palatable but usually nutrient-poor.
There is a region of our brain called the hedonic center. It is connected to pleasure and reward-seeking behaviors. This center of the brain uses multiple neurotransmitters, but dopamine is probably the most well-known. Dopamine does not create a feeling of pleasure, but a sense of wanting. It creates a desire for more. It can also be connected with addictions to nicotine, caffeine, and even cocaine. Just like a dopamine response can result in addictions to certain substances, the use of hyperpalatable foods can cause cravings for more highly palatable foods, and even food addictions.1
2. Craving What’s Familiar
Our taste buds can be tied to our traditions. The emotional connection to cheesy spaghetti corn on Thanksgiving, popcorn at the movies, and pizza at our family birthday parties, is more than just preference—it’s a craving that stems from memories, and the comfort of the known. When these dishes are missing from similar celebrations or activities, it may feel off or wrong.
3. Lacking a Specific Nutrient
Cravings may point to an insufficient amount of certain nutrients. It can be your body’s way of communicating a nutritional deficiency, especially when there are a lot of processed foods and/or sugar in your diet. That persistent desire for a salty bag of chips might point to a need for certain minerals or electrolytes, a chocolate craving may signal your body’s need for magnesium. Understanding these signs can help you make more knowledgeable decisions about your diet.
4. Sensitivity to a Certain Food
Unexplained cravings can also be a result of sensitivity to certain foods. Our bodies are such intelligently designed creations. When we eat food that we have a sensitivity to, our bodies will try to protect themselves with the production of antibodies, antihistamines, or endorphins to try to prevent the negative reaction. The protective response makes us feel good and causes us to want more of that particular food.
5. Dysbiosis
We are host to trillions of microbes, most of which live in our small and large intestines. When they are balanced, they live in harmony. However, when there is an imbalance of healthy and unhealthy gut bugs, dysbiosis can occur. Imbalances in the gut microbiome can influence cravings.2 The microbes that are inside your body need food. The gut bugs that are dominating your gut will try to persuade you to consume their perfect foods, providing what feels like an irresistible desire for them. These unhealthy gut bugs typically use sweet and starchy foods as their main source of energy. You can read more about dysbiosis here, as well as ways to combat it.
6. Using Food as Comfort
Sometimes, cravings are emotional and not an actual food craving. Feelings of stress, boredom, loneliness, sadness, or anger can cause us to “want” a certain food. Using food as a source of comfort is a common practice. Understanding this emotional connection is a great first step in changing this. Next, we must replace it with a healthy coping strategy. Journaling, walking, reading the Bible, and getting together with a trusted friend, are ways to provide support.
I wrote this blog article to share with you all the possible reasons for our cravings, especially to let you know that it’s not just a battle of willpower. Cravings are a communication from our bodies to us about nutritional needs we may have, imbalances that could be present, as well as our emotional connections with food. This article is not meant to make you feel that you need to restrict yourself but to be more aware of how your body could be communicating to you, and how to better support it with what it needs.
References:
- Nutritional Therapy Association. Evolution of the Modern Diet-Guide. [PDF File]. 2023. pg 4.
- Novelle MG. Decoding the Role of Gut-Microbiome in the Food Addiction Paradigm. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jun 25;18(13):6825. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18136825.
Leave a Reply