Understanding and Managing Food Cravings

If you’ve ever had the urge to reach for something salty or sweet despite having just ate – you’ve likely experienced a food craving. While sometimes cravings can be harmless, they can be detrimental to your health if indulged in frequently. Let’s explore the reasoning behind experiencing food cravings and what you can do to curb them.

The Science Behind Food Cravings

What many don’t know is that there may be a scientific explanation for food cravings. Studies in both animals and humans have shown that food can activate areas of the brain involved in reward. When individuals ingest certain types of foods, the neurons in the reward regions become activated, generating feels of pleasure. As a result, we tend to continue to seek out these types of foods.

The foods that activate the reward system are referred to as hyperpalatable foods. Hyperpalatable foods are pleasurable due to their richness, sweetness, or saltiness. Hyperpalatable foods tend to increase appetite, metabolic, and stress hormones like cortisol, insulin, dopamine, leptin, and ghrelin. All these hormones are associated with food cravings.

Typically, when eating, the body releases appetite hormones such as leptin, glucagon-like peptide (GLP), and more to stimulate feelings of fullness. Alternatively, the body releases ghrelin when the body is hungry. Ingesting hyperpalatable foods too frequently could disrupt how the brain processes these hormones and signals. For example, with diets high in sugar and fat, the body may release hormones that minimize stress, increasing one’s desire for “comfort” foods (1).

Reasons for cravings

Psychological triggers

In addition to there being a biological basis for food cravings, other things can contribute one’s susceptibility to cravings. While short-term, sudden stress tends to decrease your appetite, long-term stress can increase the likelihood of cravings. This is because cortisol release can increase appetite and cravings.

Sleep

Sleep is an essential part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Sleep, or lack thereof, can also impact metabolic function. When you are sleep deprived, your body may experience imbalances in ghrelin and leptin, two hormones implicated in appetite. Hormone changes can cause overeating because of starch, fat, salt, or sweet cravings.

Medications

There are several medications that impact appetite – whether it be by increasing appetite or suppressing it.  For example, some antidepressants and antipsychotics can increase someone’s appetite, thus causing weight gain. Other medications, such as amphetamines used for ADHD, can suppress appetite.

Environment

It’s no secret that obesity is on the rise, and a big reason for that is the uptick in effective food advertising. The food industry spends as much as 10 billion annually on snack and food advertising. Even just a 30-second commercial or social media post can cause someone to develop food cravings. High exposure to food advertising is linked to increased caloric intake.

Hormone changes

Changes to hormones, particularly in women, can be a reason for food cravings. A woman’s hormones will fluctuate throughout the different phases of their menstrual cycle. At a point in a woman’s cycle when progesterone is high and estrogen levels are low, they may have more cravings and feel unsatisfied after eating.

Exercise

Physical activity will usually decrease appetite-stimulating ghrelin and elevate appetite-suppressing GLP and leptin in the short-term. However, after exercise, typical hunger cues will continue (1).

Common types of food cravings

There are many different types of food cravings. Here are some and what they could be trying to tell your body:

• Sugar cravings. If you want something sweet, it could be because you’re experiencing a drop in blood sugar. Additionally, many people will turn to sugar when they are seeking dopamine, that “feel good” hormone, or a form of comfort.
• Salt cravings. If you’re experiencing cravings for savory foods like chips, you may be experiencing low electrolyte levels, dehydration, and stress.
• Carb cravings. This could be due to low serotonin levels, blood sugar spikes, or just habitual consumption that causes an addiction-like response within the brain.

The Impact of Unmanaged Cravings

Unfortunately, there are quite a few negative consequences to having unmanaged cravings.

Nutritional Consequences

To start, frequent cravings can cause you to consume high-calorie, nutrient-poor foods like fast food, sugary snacks, and processed foods. These tend to be low in nutritional value, lacking essential vitamins and minerals. Over time, this can cause nutrient deficiencies.

Additionally, someone may experience an overall unbalanced diet that is high in sugar, salt, and fat. As such, someone’s digestion, skin health, and brain function may be impacted.

Weight gain and obesity

With increased caloric intake via foods high in sugar and fat, individuals can gain excess wait. When someone eats a diet high in refined carbs and sugar, this can lead to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. It can also cause other health conditions like stroke, heart disease, and hypertension.

Mood and cognition

Cravings won’t just affect you physically but also mentally. High intake of carbohydrates can lead to blood sugar spikes, which in turn can impact mood, causing fatigue, irritability, and anxiety. Additionally, increased fat and sugar intake can disrupt levels of dopamine and serotonin, two hormones implicated in mood.

Other physical health complications

Indulging in fatty or processed foods can increase your likelihood of bloating, constipation, or acid reflux. Additionally, sugar, fat, and processed foods can cause inflammation throughout the body, which is linked to many chronic diseases. Finally, ingesting large meals with a lot of sugar or caffeine prior to sleep can lead to poor sleep. Poor sleep can contribute to even more cravings the next day as the body tries to compensate for its fatigue.

Evidence-Based Strategies to Manage Food Cravings

Mindful Eating Practices

The first step to managing your food cravings is knowing the difference between true hunger and a craving that is habitual or emotional. When that “hunger” cue starts to arise, ask yourself, “Am I actually hungry?”. Taking a moment to pause and reflect on what you are feeling and why can help prevent unnecessary eating. Is it because your body feels empty, or because you are trying to sooth a mental or emotional urge?

Additionally, taking time to slow down eating and really savor your food can do wonders for cravings. Many people will eat while distracted, be it while scrolling on their phone, watching TV, or working. However, when you are more present when eating, you can enjoy your food more deeply and satisfy your cravings more effectively.

Balanced Diet

Eating a balanced diet can also be effective in minimizing cravings. To do so, you’ll want to ensure you intake a well-balanced, nutrient-dense diet that has protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Doing so will prevent blood sugar fluctuations, improve digestion, give you energy, and maintain a healthy appetite.

Additionally, nutrient deficiencies can make cravings worse. For example, if you experience low levels of magnesium, you may desire chocolate. To mitigate this issue, ensure you are eating lots of vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats.

Cognitive Behavioral Approaches

For many people, cravings are habitual, and we need to work to break the habit. For example, some people may associate food with comfort and as a reward after a long or challenging day. If you become aware of these patterns, you can then reframe and redirect these thoughts. For example, when you experience a craving, think “is this an emotional response, or real hunger?”. If, perhaps, you are just feeling stressed after a long day, you can redirect these thoughts into thinking “there are other way to relax and unwind that don’t involve food”.

You can also try to use distraction techniques to help delay indulging in a craving. When a craving hits, take 10 to 15 minutes to go on a walk or do deep breathing exercises. By the time you are done, the craving may disappear altogether.

Stress Reduction

As we mentioned, stress can be a major contributor to hunger cravings. If you learn to manage your stress through healthier means – such as with exercise, meditation, or deep breathing – you can lessen your cravings. For example, exercise helps to regulate both ghrelin (your hunger hormone) and leptin (your satiety hormone). Mindfulness and meditation can help to manage emotional triggers and responses.

Environment Control

One of the most effective ways to minimize cravings is to change your environment. If you tend to crave foods like cookies or chips, it is best to keep them out of sight. This would likely mean avoiding them at the grocery store and keeping them out of the house entirely. If they aren’t there, you can’t indulge. Better yet, keep healthier options like fruits, veggies, and nuts to snack on.

Additionally, meal planning can be helpful in eating balanced meals that can limit cravings. It also keeps healthy meals accessible and easy to reach for in the same way that unhealthy snacks are.

Conclusion

In summary, food cravings happen because of a mix of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. Over time, food cravings can lead to an unbalanced diet, nutrient deficiencies, psychological deficits, and health problems. Thus, it is important to manage these cravings by implementing healthy habits.

References

1. https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/cravings/

Author

David J. Bauder, PA-C David Bauder, PA-C, is a certified physician assistant and the assistant medical director at Weight Loss and Vitality in Manassas and Alexandria, Virginia, Washington, DC; and Gaithersburg, MD. He enjoys helping patients optimize their physical and mental health to improve their overall well-being. He earned his physician assistant degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Afterward, he gained admission into the reputable graduate program for physician assistant studies at the University of Nebraska Health Science Center in Omaha. David has over 26 years of experience working as a physician assistant. He’s practiced in podiatry, family medicine, emergency medicine, general surgery, urgent care, and functional medicine.