Your body knows what nutrient deficiencies you have and craves foods with those nutrients
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astronomicals wrote: »Show me the science. Peer reviewed studies.
It's true, when I'm sick my body craves bourbon.
Therefore I'm deficient in ethanol, naturally.
I had this reviewed at a local bar, by a table full of chemists, biologists, ecologists, and one freshly minted neuroscientist.0 -
astronomicals wrote: »
I'll show ya, what's your snapchat? junk pics incoming.0 -
Deficient in beer and honey-roasted cashews, apparently.0
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Are Cheez-Its a nutrient?0
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astronomicals wrote: »Show me the science. Peer reviewed studies.
It's true, when I'm sick my body craves bourbon.
Therefore I'm deficient in ethanol, naturally.
I had this reviewed at a local bar, by a table full of chemists, biologists, ecologists, and one freshly minted neuroscientist.
Research brought to you courtesy of a bunch of dead Presidents no doubt!0 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »
ETA I have heard of a recent study on women craving fat for DHA but I haven't been able to locate it yet.
I do think it makes sense we would have ability to detect gross deficiencies for very vital nutrients and seek to replace. Not up on the lit though
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girlviernes wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »
ETA I have heard of a recent study on women craving fat for DHA but I haven't been able to locate it yet.
I do think it makes sense we would have ability to detect gross deficiencies for very vital nutrients and seek to replace. Not up on the lit though
No, now that I remember a little more clearly, it was a theory that women are eating more fat to get the same DHA as before because they need to have a certain level of DHA for pregnancy but the percentage of DHA in fats is lower these days so they are gaining weight but the extra fat would have the same amount of DHA content as women decades ago with less body fat. I don't think there has been a formal study on it yet.0 -
I must have a Snickers Bar deficiency at the moment then. LOL0
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No idea on that one. The only thing I'm low on (badly) is vitamin D. I was taking 50000 IU's *prescribed* twice a week on top of D3 5000 IU's twice a day. I never crave fish, eggs etc. It's always something like honey buns and pizza LOL!0
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Wheelhouse15 wrote: »girlviernes wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »
ETA I have heard of a recent study on women craving fat for DHA but I haven't been able to locate it yet.
I do think it makes sense we would have ability to detect gross deficiencies for very vital nutrients and seek to replace. Not up on the lit though
No, now that I remember a little more clearly, it was a theory that women are eating more fat to get the same DHA as before because they need to have a certain level of DHA for pregnancy but the percentage of DHA in fats is lower these days so they are gaining weight but the extra fat would have the same amount of DHA content as women decades ago with less body fat. I don't think there has been a formal study on it yet.
Interesting theory then, but are women actually eating more fat? That is surprising to me.
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I don't know. I used to like ketchup with everything but for the past couple of years I've been craving yellow mustard which isn't nutritious at all.
Other than that I just crave burgers, but my body gets plenty of protein and fat. I also take 2 different kinds of multivitamins .0 -
When I'm protein deficient I definitely crave meat.
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Unfortunately all the case studies are done with small numbers (some as few as one). Most of these are iron related, not going searching for other pica/nutrient deficiency articles.
http://www.kawasaki-m.ac.jp/soc/kikanshi/KMJ_35-4_PDF/35.329.2009_KMJ_Hata_etal.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25169035
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14615690
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20226051
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/29/6/1012
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0047129
http://jn.nutrition.org/content/early/2014/08/13/jn.114.192070.abstract0 -
I crave citrus, and often tuna, after I've had a bad day with my seizures (basically, carbs, protein, Vitamin C, B vitamins - all things that would aid recovery.) So yeah, I've always felt there was something to it...0
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Here, I did the heavy lifting for you: http://bit.ly/ZVL21O0
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My body must be lacking whatever makes me want to eat butterfingers...?0
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KameHameHaaaa wrote: »No idea on that one. The only thing I'm low on (badly) is vitamin D. I was taking 50000 IU's *prescribed* twice a week on top of D3 5000 IU's twice a day. I never crave fish, eggs etc. It's always something like honey buns and pizza LOL!"me wrote:I've been known to offer vitamin d to certain lucky people.
Legen....
wait for it.
..... DARY!0 -
I had pica (specifically, ice) when I was seriously anemic and it went away when my hemoglobin levels finally went back to normal. Apparently ice cravings are not uncommon with anemia. So I tend to think that there's something to it, but that our bodies aren't good at having the correct craving to match the deficiency. Because usually my body is saying "carbs pls" and I eat plenty of those.0
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girlviernes wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »girlviernes wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »
ETA I have heard of a recent study on women craving fat for DHA but I haven't been able to locate it yet.
I do think it makes sense we would have ability to detect gross deficiencies for very vital nutrients and seek to replace. Not up on the lit though
No, now that I remember a little more clearly, it was a theory that women are eating more fat to get the same DHA as before because they need to have a certain level of DHA for pregnancy but the percentage of DHA in fats is lower these days so they are gaining weight but the extra fat would have the same amount of DHA content as women decades ago with less body fat. I don't think there has been a formal study on it yet.
Interesting theory then, but are women actually eating more fat? That is surprising to me.
That seems to be what they suggest, it sounds like a social biology theory so it may be a little stretched.0 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »girlviernes wrote: »
So that's one order for a peer review and one order for a meta-analysis... Cars getting full. Oddly enough, there is evidence for pica in certain cultures for iron deficiencies but not for corresponding food cravings in any population. Curious....
ETA I have heard of a recent study on women craving fat for DHA but I haven't been able to locate it yet.
I had pica for crunching ice when I was anemic, but never once craved a rare steak or a big pile of broccoli. And I was severely iron deficient (like almost needing a transfusion deficient).
ETA: eating ice doesn't actually provide any iron, btw. So if the body is picking things to eat based on an iron deficiency, it isn't do a very good job.0
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