F ood cravings are very common. One study of more than 1,000 people revealed 97% of women and 68% of men experienced cravings. Food cravings occur more commonly later in the day, with an average of two to four craving episodes per week. NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES: It has been long thought that food cravings were due to the body’s effort to correct nutritional deficiencies or food restrictions. Under this theory, a craving for a juicy steak might indicate the body’s need for iron or protein. A craving for chocolate may indicate that people lack phenylethylamine, a chemical that has been associated with romantic love. Phenylethylamine is found in significant amounts in chocolate. Nutritional deficiencies are linked to food cravings in certain situations. Pica is an unusual behavior where people crave non- food substances such as ice, clay or raw starch. Pica behavior is sometimes found in conjunction with micronutrient deficiencies such as zinc. Deficiencies in vitamins may potentially result in food cravings. A severe deficiency of vitamin C led to scurvy in maritime explorers who did not have ready access to fresh fruit and vegetables during their long sea voyages. A British chaplain who wrote about the accounts of sailors suffering from scurvy reported they
had intense cravings for fruit and when they finally were able to eat it they experienced “emotions of the most voluptuous luxury”. Sailors suffering from scurvy were said to crave fruit. Ajith Kumar/Flickr, CC BY In general, however, there is no real evidence to link our common food cravings with nutritional deficiencies. Firstly, food cravings have been shown to decrease during weight-loss diets rather than increase, as might be expected. In one study, a group of obese people was restricted to a very low-calorie diet over a 12-week period. Only meat, fish or poultry was allowed and all other foods were forbidden. Their cravings for low-fat, high-protein foods and complex carbohydrates decreased markedly on the diet. There was no reported increased craving for forbidden foods. Restriction of certain types of foods also appears to decrease food cravings rather than increase them. A study of low- carbohydrate and low-fat diets in obese adults found that restricting carbohydrates resulted in decreased food cravings and restriction of fats decreased their craving for high-fat foods. If the nutritional deficiency theory were to be true, this does not explain why some foods that are richer in nutrients lead to generally less cravings than other foods. Cheddar cheese and salami, for example, have much higher levels of phenylethylamine than chocolate but not nearly the same intensity of craving.
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