Can Vitamin Deficiency Cause Sugar Cravings?

Vitamin B1 :

• there is nutrient deficiency
• there is high stress
• and you have a background history of dieting, emotional eating, and other not-so-healthy coping mechanisms like drugs or alcohol …

• there is nutrient deficiency
• there is high stress
• and you have a background history of dieting, emotional eating, and other not-so-healthy coping mechanisms like drugs or alcohol

What Causes Sugar Cravings?

• Your Brain And Sugar Crave. Multiple parts of your brain chip in when it comes to controlling your sensations.
• Dietary Patterns. While your brain can be a major foe in your quest, foods are also not to be underestimated.
• Lifestyle Patterns. Yes, sometimes it all comes down to your lifestyle.
• Clinical Issues.

Your Body Is Probably Lacking This Nutrient

• The Type of Sugar Matters. First things first—before looking for answers, you need to identify the type of sugary food you are craving.
• You May be Experiencing Blood Sugar Fluctuations.
• Check for Magnesium Deficiency.
• Make Sure You’re Hydrating.

Sugar cravings that strike after a meal may be due to serotonin, a feel-good brain chemical that’s associated with an elevated mood. Eating a sugary dessert causes serotonin levels to rise in the brain, which can make you feel calmer and happier.

What is the link between nutrient deficiencies and cravings?

A growing number of people believe that food cravings are the body’s subconscious way of filling a nutritional need. They assume that when the body lacks a specific nutrient, it naturally craves foods that are rich in that nutrient.

Cravings are defined as intense, urgent or abnormal desires or longings. Not only are they very common, but they’re also arguably one of the most intense feelings you can experience when it comes to food. Some believe that cravings are caused by nutrient deficiencies and view them as the body’s way to correct them.

Context associations: In some cases, the brain associates eating a food with a certain context, such as eating popcorn during a movie. This can create a craving for that specific food the next time the same context appears ( 26, 27.

However, most people tend to crave high-carb, high-fat foods, rather than nutritious whole foods ( 20. Trusted Source. ). Consequently, the craved foods are often not the best source of the nutrient commonly associated with the craving.

However, craving foods like tofu would be more likely to correct a calcium deficiency , since it offers up to twice as much calcium per 1-ounce (28-gram) portion ( 21 ).

There’s also evidence that regularly consuming high-sodium foods can lead you to develop a preference for salty foods. This can create salt cravings in cases where extra sodium intake is unnecessary and even harmful to your health ( 7. Trusted Source. , 8.

Why do I crave alcohol?

In fact, one theory of alcoholism is that it’s really caused by low blood sugar. This causes people to crave alcohol because it’s a quick source of energy. I will not reduce something as complicated as alcoholism down to just low blood sugar.

When we don’t have enough vitamin B1 two things happen. First, we get symptoms of low blood sugar. Some people feel anxious. In women PMS symptoms may get worse. Second, we crave sugar.

Vitamin B1 is present in high amounts in most multivitamins and B complexes. If a need for thiamine is still present the supplement, I use is Bio-3b-g from Biotics. This production doesn’t have a large amount of vitamin B1 compared to many other B complexes. It’s actually much less than many other. However, the form of vitamin B1 used (cocarboxylase chloride), works well in cases of sugar cravings. Even if someone is already taking a B complex, if they have signs of needing vitamin B1 and an elevated anion gap, I’ll still give bio-3b-g.

Vitamin B1 deficiency often shows on basic blood work. The lab test you want to look for is the anion gap.

However, the form of vitamin B1 used (cocarboxylase chloride), works well in cases of sugar cravings. Even if someone is already taking a B complex, if they have signs of needing vitamin B1 and an elevated anion gap, I’ll still give bio-3b-g.