Maybe it’s something salty, sweet or spicy, but there are times when we crave certain food flavors. Why? And why is it often an unhealthy choice? Lexi Wallace, a registered dietitian and diabetes educator with Saint Francis Health System in Tulsa, helps shed light on these common urges.
To begin, she explains why food cravings can occur when we’re not really hungry and why we often turn to foods high in sugar or fat.
“Such foods activate dopamine signaling in the brain’s reward system, including the nucleus accumbens, which drives motivation; the amygdala, which links foods with emotional memory; and the orbitofrontal cortex, which assigns reward value to foods and guides decision-making,” says Wallace. “From an evolutionary standpoint, this made a lot of sense for our ancestors, who had to hunt and gather their food. Today, although food is abundant, our brains still respond the same way to calorically dense foods.”
Wallace says once our brains associate pleasure with certain foods, repeated exposure strengthens these reward pathways.
“Over time, environmental cues, such as seeing or smelling the food or even situations or places associated with the food, can trigger a craving response, sometimes more strongly than eating the food itself,” she says.
In addition, she says while it’s commonly believed that nutrient deficiencies can cause cravings, the evidence for this is mostly anecdotal.
“For example, during pregnancy, when nutrient needs are higher, many women experience intense cravings for one or more specific foods,” says Wallace. “So, one might reason that the food of interest is high in some nutrient(s) that may be otherwise lacking in the diet. However, if this were the case, then we would crave more nutrient-dense foods like broccoli or salmon instead of ice cream or chips! Instead, it is more likely that pregnancy cravings are driven by dramatic shifts in hormones, particularly estrogen and progesterone.”
For many, deciding to diet or restrict foods causes them to suddenly crave those foods. In fact, Wallace says several studies show people report increased cravings while dieting or following a restrictive eating plan, especially in the initial stages.
“On the other hand, some research suggests following a low-calorie diet for a longer period of time – 12 to 20 weeks – can actually reduce food cravings, likely by deconditioning the habit of responding to cravings,” she says, while adding the caveat that more research is needed to determine whether restrictive diets are sustainable and effective at reducing food cravings long-term.
“Finally, negative emotions can cause cravings for some people, partly due to increases in cortisol (the stress hormone) and partly as a conditioned response to these emotions,” says Wallace. “When we eat ice cream because we feel sad, it activates the brain’s pleasure and reward centers, which is naturally more rewarding than feeling sad. So, the next time we feel sad, the brain remembers that ice cream makes us feel better – at least temporarily – which can trigger a craving.”
Mindfully Responding to Cravings
• Eat regular meals with a balance of protein, carbs and fats. You’re more likely to experience cravings when you’re hungry, so stay nourished.
• Get curious. The next time you crave something outside of your regular mealtimes, ask yourself if you’re really hungry. If not driven by hunger, then ask yourself how you’re feeling or what you need.
• Shift how you think about food and cravings. Deeming a food as ‘bad’ or something you ‘shouldn’t’ have turns that food into a ‘forbidden fruit,’ making it even more desirable.
• Eat the food you’re craving! Indulging a food craving isn’t necessarily a problem unless it becomes habitual or excessive.
• If you still find yourself triggered by a particular craving, consider adding a small amount of that food to your lunch for at least a week or two and see if this helps quiet the craving.
