Are cravings nutritional deficiencies?

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ValentineNicole
ValentineNicole Posts: 51 Member
edited February 2015 in Food and Nutrition
Why do we get cravings? Are they really nutritional deficiencies? If so, why can we crave the same food for days?
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  • flailx
    flailx Posts: 14 Member
    edited February 2015
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    Good question, I've wondered the same thing myself. I find it interesting that after a good workout I crave healthy things.

    It's certainly possible to crave things for multiple days. I also think it's possible to condition yourself to crave something. I've gotten in the habit of grabbing a few almonds just before I head home from work. Now I find myself craving them when it gets close to 5:00pm, even if I'm not hungry at all.
  • WeddedBliss1992
    WeddedBliss1992 Posts: 414 Member
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    great question. i don't know but some days i *must* have olives or pickles. so i do wonder if i am in need of sodium.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I think the answer is "sometimes". I like a half scoop of Vega One in my water after an intense workout. That's got to be good.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    i think maybe in centuries past it could have been, diets were poor and if your body needed something, you would begin to crave it. but in modern times, with most of the civilized world having a reasonably balanced diet, its probably more rare. possible, sure, but i think it would have to be a pretty severe deficiency to cause a craving.



  • ValentineNicole
    ValentineNicole Posts: 51 Member
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    Awesome input guys! This is one question I'm always so curious about. I agree @flailx - I do think we condition our cravings sometimes. I drink too much water (gasp) - but honestly sometimes 200-250 ounces in a day. I know i am not necessarily always that thirsty but I must condition myself that if my mouth is even an inkling dry, I want a sip. I can easily go through 2 24 packs of water a week at work alone.
  • PearlAng
    PearlAng Posts: 681 Member
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    Could be, but I wouldnt say always.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    well kind of our bodies are designed to extract the most energy from the most caloric dense foods thats why we crave fat and sugar. Salt because in the past it's always been a limiting and hard to find element.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
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    Sometimes. Other times maybe not. I highly doubt my body ever "needs" anything that's in a hot plate of gooey melted cheddar fries, yet I crave those just about every waking second, lol.
  • SilverRose89
    SilverRose89 Posts: 447 Member
    edited February 2015
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    ValentineNicole wrote: »
    Why do we get cravings? Are they really nutritional deficiencies? If so, why can we crave the same food for days?

    If so, I am nutritionally deficient in pizza and cheesecake...


    In all seriousness, yeah I'm sure they can be. Mine seem to be purely emotional though.
  • MindySaysWhaaat
    MindySaysWhaaat Posts: 401 Member
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    Sometimes we get cravings because we're deficient, other times I think we crave things if we've told ourselves we can't have them. It's partially why I've adopted the whole "Moderation" style of eating because I don't like to tell myself that there are things I'm not allowed.
  • sarieth05
    sarieth05 Posts: 313 Member
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    SilverRose89 wrote: »
    ValentineNicole wrote: »
    Why do we get cravings? Are they really nutritional deficiencies? If so, why can we crave the same food for days?

    If so, I am nutritionally deficient in pizza and cheesecake...


    In all seriousness, yeah I'm sure they can be. Mine seem to be purely emotional though.

    Totally my deficiency. How weird! :p

    Also I have no clue, but I remember there was about a week long period of time where I was getting excruciating leg cramps (this was before I started losing weight and exercising, though) when I was in bed, and they stopped when I started eating more salt during the day - which is what I was having cravings for at the time.

    Sometimes I crave eggs like crazy, and honestly I just really don't like eggs but I know 100% that I don't get enough protein and maybe my body is trying to tell me that.

  • danifo0811
    danifo0811 Posts: 542 Member
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    If it is junk food, I think no unless possibly a salt craving.

    If it is something like eggs or tuna, I think I am deficient in something.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    They say you're deficient in Magnesium if you crave chocolate. I get more than enough magnesium and still "crave", or it could be feel like chocolate.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    Pica is real but rare. If you think you are deficient in a nutrient, you should go to your doctor and have blood work done.
  • slondro
    slondro Posts: 45 Member
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    I think our bodies do send some cues for us to eat certain things.

    When I began logging my intake on MFP, for instance, I realized I wasn't eating nearly enough fat. Suddenly it made sense that I couldn't put down the jar of peanut butter once I opened it. Now that I'm actively paying attention to my fat intake, while I still love peanut butter, it's much easier to moderate it.
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
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    Sometimes, but I do think a distinction can be made between physiological cravings and psychological or emotional cravings. Both are real but I assume you're talking about the former which would only account for a small portion of cravings.

    @callsitlikeiseeit - I believe the modern (Western) diet has been shown to be defficient in many vitimin and minerals because most people don't eat a balanced diet. Access to food has improved significantly - too bad a lot of that is processed and nutrient defficient
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    ValentineNicole wrote: »
    Why do we get cravings? Are they really nutritional deficiencies? If so, why can we crave the same food for days?

    Sometimes, yes. Other times, no, it's just psychological.

  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
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    AllOutof_Bubblegum wrote: »
    Sometimes. Other times maybe not. I highly doubt my body ever "needs" anything that's in a hot plate of gooey melted cheddar fries, yet I crave those just about every waking second, lol.

    Gosh I like you.
  • ValentineNicole
    ValentineNicole Posts: 51 Member
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    gmallan wrote: »
    Sometimes, but I do think a distinction can be made between physiological cravings and psychological or emotional cravings. Both are real but I assume you're talking about the former which would only account for a small portion of cravings.

    @callsitlikeiseeit - I believe the modern (Western) diet has been shown to be defficient in many vitimin and minerals because most people don't eat a balanced diet. Access to food has improved significantly - too bad a lot of that is processed and nutrient defficient

    Yes exactly. I'm thinking "healthy" food cravings. I get them a lot...

    One week, I can't get enough carrots. Another, suddenly I develop an inkling for a can of tuna that I just can't shake. Some nights, all I want is kale. And most recently, my body is just screaming at me for almonds!
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
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    It's an interesting topic because even the healthy food cravings must be partly phsychological. Your brain must somehow be able to make an association between a particular food and a particular nutrient or combination of nutrients.

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