Why Do I Crave For Chocolate?

What does your body want when you crave chocolate ? Because your body needs magnesium Research shows that chocolate is high in magnesium. Scientists have questioned whether magnesium deficiencies could explain people’s chocolate cravings .

The root cause of sugar cravings is a micronutrient deficiency. The human body is intelligent and gets us to crave foods that contain the nutrient we may be missing. For example, you may be strongly craving chocolate because you have a magnesium deficiency — chocolate is a rich source of magnesium!

Cravings for both food and alcohol are common when you are newly sober. Cravings occur because your body is still adjusting to sobriety and may be sending you mixed signals. For example, you may mistake hunger for an alcohol craving . Eating an unbalanced diet has been linked to having increased cravings.

Chocolate in large amounts can lead to a variety of gastrointestinal issues. If you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome or diarrhea, too much chocolate can make them worse. On top of that, chocolate is acidic, and acidic foods increase the acid in your stomach. Acidic foods lead to acid reflux issues, bouts of heartburn and inflamed stomach

Why do women crave chocolate?

About 50 percent of American women crave chocolate around the time their period starts. Researchers have been unable to find a biological explanation for this phenomenon. Among women born outside of the United States, in countries where chocolate isn’t habitually associated with PMS, chocolate cravings are far more unusual.

Basically, women may crave chocolate during their periods out of habit because they believe chocolate cravings are normal. In addition, when you’re stressed, anxious, depressed, or uncomfortable, it’s easy to turn toward something that you know will make you feel good. What to do about it.

Share on Pinterest. Chocolates are made by combining cocoa powder and cocoa butter with sweeteners and other ingredients. Cocoa butter accounts for most of the fat in chocolate. Different types of chocolate have varying concentrations of cocoa powder (often called the cacao percentage). Dark chocolate has the highest concentration …

You may be able to reduce your sugar intake by eating chocolate with a high cacao percentage. If you’re concerned about the sugar content, you can also try this simple three-step plan to curb your sugar cravings. 2. Because you’re hungry. Share on Pinterest.

Most research, however, suggests that it’s the combination of fat and sugar that make certain foods so addictive. A plain Hershey’s milk chocolate bar has 24 grams of sugar. Other chocolate bars that contain caramel, nougat, and marshmallow may have even more sugar. For example, a Snickers bar has 27 grams of sugar.

Dark chocolate has the highest concentration of cocoa powder and white chocolate the lowest. Chocolate also contains a variety of other ingredients like sugars, milk powders, and nuts. Cocoa is naturally bitter. To improve the taste of chocolate, processors add plenty of sugar.

Nearly 60 percent of the world’s cacao is currently grown in West African nations that tend to rely on child labor. Research funded by the U.S. Department of Labor found over 1.75 million children worked on cacao farms in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana between 2008 and 2009.

How to stop cravings for sweets?

Here are some tips for cutting your cravings: 1 Eat a balanced diet of whole foods with lots of complex carbs, lean protein, and healthy fats. 2 Stay hydrated. 3 Replace refined sugars and grains with more wholesome ingredients when baking. 4 Satisfy your sweet tooth with organic fruit and smoothies. 5 Steer clear of nut butters with added sugar.

To get the biggest bang for your healthy buck, go for dark chocolate. Bars with 70 percent or more cocoa are the best choice, since they contain less sugar and dairy. For example, 45–59% cacao = 31 grams fat per 100-gram serving. 70–85% cacao = 42 grams fat per the same serving.

To put that in perspective, a Hershey’s milk chocolate bar has a whopping 24 grams of sugar. Yikes. If you gotta have some chocolate, opt for a variety with a high cocoa content. Bars that have 70 percent cocoa or more typically have less than 10 grams of sugar. Just double-check the nutrition info on the label.

Your chocolate craving might not have anything to do with chocolate itself — you might just be hungry. It’s totally normal to crave fast-acting sugars when you’re feeling peckish. Simple carbs can give you a quick energy boost.

In fact, a serving of chocolate can have more caffeine than a can of soda. This might be why you fantasize about Ms. Green M&M during midday energy slumps. Some types of chocolate will give you a bigger buzz than others.

Scientists haven’t found a biological link between chocolate cravings and PMS. But chocolate causes your brain to release feel-good neurotransmitters like dopamine. This means chocolate can be a quick fix for PMS symptoms like depression and anxiety — but it’s def not a long-term solution.

Milk chocolate bars contain only 5 to 10 percent of the caffeine in a cup of coffee and white chocolate doesn’t contain any caffeine. Chocolate bars with a high cocoa percentage have more caffeine.

What does eating chocolate do to your brain?

Eating chocolate actually releases dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter, into particular regions of the brain: the frontal lobe, hippocampus and hypothalamus. Dopamine is released any time you experience something that gives you joy – such as eating chocolate.

Other foods, such as leafy greens, figs, avocados, and nuts have more magnesium, but chocolate is actually pretty high in the nutrient, with about 176 mg in a 100 g serving.

Tom Wilberg. Chocolate actually contains some amounts of magnesium, a micronutrient that a lot of people, women in particular, happen to be deficient in. Chocolate is not the top magnesium-rich food, but it is the only one in the list of top ten foods that is known for its ability to produce dopamine in the brain.