Cravings for specific foods could be an indication of a deficiency in a micro or macro nutrient. In particular, a craving for chocolate could highlight a magnesium deficiencyMagnesium deficiency is an electrolyte disturbance in which there is a low level of magnesium in the body. It can result in multiple symptoms. Symptoms include tremor, poor coordination, muscle spasms, loss of appetite, personality changes, and nystagmus.https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Magnesium_deficiency
You're not getting enough magnesium
We need magnesium to help turn the food we eat into energy. As dark chocolate is high in magnesium, some argue that chocolate cravings stem from a magnesium deficiency.
According to health experts, food cravings in some cases may be indicators of nutritional deficiencies. This explains why you crave fatty foods and sugary treats while on a diet. As an example, chocolate cravings are often a sign of magnesium deficiency.
Hunger masquerading as a chocolate craving means you need a snack that will satisfy and keep you fuller longer. Reach for something high in protein, which takes longer than other nutrients to digest: Greek yogurt, beef jerky, hard-boiled eggs, peanut butter, tuna, cottage cheese, protein bars.
How much chocolate can I eat a day? Experts say the recommended “dose” is approximately 1 to 2 ounces or 30-60g. Indulge in anything more than that, and you may be consuming too many calories. A 1.45-ounce (41 gram) Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Bar has 190 calories.
Chocolate contains caffeine, which makes it hard to fall asleep and keeps you from getting to the deep sleep stages you need to feel rested, according to Stokes.
Chocolate
High levels of caffeine in chocolate make it a poor choice for late-night snacking. During the latter stages of sleep, caffeine consumption can cause rapid eye movement (REM) to occur more frequently, which is why you're more likely to feel groggy the morning after the night before.
Morning or night-time chocolate intake did not lead to weight gain; 2. Eating chocolate in the morning or in the evening can influence hunger and appetite, microbiota composition, sleep and more; 3.
Cocoa is really nutrient dense with magnesium, iron and fiber. If you follow a plant-based diet, you might be craving chocolate if you're anemic or low in iron. Chocolate has a small amount of iron, but it's easy for your body to access.
Levels of the feel-good hormone serotonin drop and insulin levels go up. This dangerous combination leaves you reaching for mood-boosting foods like chocolate – that sweet mix of sugar AND fat – while glucose-levelling insulin leaves you craving a sweet treat to raise your blood sugar.
Some believe chocolate is the snack of choice due to hormonal imbalances during the menstrual cycle. When estrogen, progesterone and serotonin (the happiness hormone) levels drop, and cortisol (the stress hormone) rises, the result is a sugar craving.
Nutrient Deficiencies
Deficiencies in certain minerals such as zinc, chromium, iron, calcium, and magnesium may lead to sugar cravings as well, Elia says. Magnesium deficiency is specifically worth paying attention to.
— There's a good chance you or someone you know frequently craves sugar. While some of that is normal, if you're always wanting something sweet, it could signal hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar. Having the condition can cause weight gain, which many of us have dealt with throughout the pandemic.
Though going to bed hungry can help with sleep and weight loss, lack of access to food can actually increase your risk of obesity, asthma, and other health problems.
There are many reasons you can gain weight that have nothing to do with food. Sometimes weight gain is easy to figure out. If you've changed your eating habits, added more dessert or processed foods, or have been spending more time on the couch than usual, you can typically blame those reasons if you gain a few pounds.
Why do so many of us get so fat? the answer appears obvious. “The fundamental cause of obesity and overweight,” the World Health Organization says, “is an energy imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended.” Put simply, we either eat too much or are too sedentary, or both.
If you struggle with late-night snacking, you're not alone. 97% of women and 68% of men report experiencing some sort of food cravings - including sugar cravings. The problem with eating late at night is right before bed we're the least active.
A study published in the most recent version of the journal Obesity found that the body's internal clock, the circadian system, increases hunger and cravings for sweet, starchy and salty foods in the evenings.
Sugar cravings are often caused by imbalances in blood glucose levels. Low blood sugar levels might cause you to crave something sweet in order to bring up these levels. Other factors that can play a role include psychological stress, medications, hormone imbalances, and health conditions.
Of course, caffeinated beverages such as coffee and colas are out. You should try to not eat any chocolate after around 4 or 5 pm to give your body time to metabolize its caffeine. Generally, it's also a good idea to stop eating at least 2 hours before turning in for the night to give your food time to digest.
Also, chocolate is high in sugar and saturated fat. It is a high-energy (high calorie) food, and too much can result in excess weight, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Chocolate addiction isn't an official diagnosis. Still, it's possible to experience chocolate cravings and eat more than you should. Chocolate contains ingredients — such as sugar and fat — that also exist in other addictive foods. They're the reason many people cave to chocolate cravings.
“My study says that sugar can momentarily tap into the same pleasure system as addictive drugs.” Momentarily being the key word. When you eat a piece of chocolate, your brain responds, but the response only lasts for a few minutes. Your brain's response to something like morphine would last for hours.