Making Sense of Food Cravings During Pregnancy
Pregnancy cravings explained
In the US, between 50 and 90 percent of pregnant women say they have at least one food urge. And there are all kinds of cravings—from salty to sweet to... odd.
When we asked expectant mothers on BabyCenter, nearly 40% of them reported their primary craving was for sweets. Only 33% of people selected salty snacks. Third (17%) were those who were hankering after spicy food. Those with a preference for sour foods, such as citrus fruits, green apples, and sour candies, trailed behind (at 10%).
The profound hormonal shifts that pregnant women experience can significantly affect taste and scent. (This would help explain why menopausal women may also have intense dietary aversions and urges.) Ultimately, though, nobody can say for sure.
We do know, however, that food appetites and aversions are related. According to a study conducted in Ethiopia, women with food aversions were over twice as likely to have cravings for particular meals as women without them.
When do pregnancy cravings start?
Each woman experiences cravings at a different time, and some expectant mothers never experience any desires during pregnancy. However, desires can appear early in pregnancy, frequently get stronger in the second trimester, and then eventually go away in the third trimester or after delivery.
During the first trimester of pregnancy, a lot of women experience food aversions instead of appetites. When you are unable to tolerate the taste or smell of a food, you have a food aversion. Food aversions are rather prevalent during pregnancy and are the antithesis of desires. They frequently begin with morning sickness, usually in weeks five or six of pregnancy.
What do pregnancy cravings mean?
Some medical professionals and nutritionists think that some appetites have purpose. For instance, there is little evidence to establish a causal relationship between iron or zinc deficiency and the illness known as pica, which is characterized by intense cravings for nonfood items like laundry starch, dirt, or clay.
There are several eating cravings that could be important to monitor. For instance, practitioners of alternative medicine think that a deficiency of magnesium may cause a chocolate addiction. Whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and green vegetables like spinach are among the foods high in magnesium.
Belew has also found that many of her patients need more essential fatty acids in their diet. When they start taking fish oil or flax oil, their food cravings disappear.
Similarly, a craving for red meat seems like a transparent cry for protein. And the mom in our survey who said she consumed great quantities of peaches may have been responding to her body's need for beta carotene.
Judith Brown, author of What to Eat Before, During, and After Pregnancy, agrees that in some cases there might be a biological cause for cravings. She points to pregnant women who develop an aversion to certain foods or drinks that might be harmful (like diet soda, coffee, or alcohol).
But Elizabeth Somer, author of Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy, doesn't see much of a link between a pregnant woman's cravings and what her body needs.
Studies reveal little connection between cravings and dietary needs, despite the fact that many believe their cravings to be substantial. People would eat more veggies and less chocolate if they sought what their bodies needed.
Moreover, the data at this time is anecdotal, although being difficult to deny.
Food cravings have no scientific explanation. There is no evidence to suggest that a woman's cravings are a reflection of what her body or unborn child needs, and there is also no evidence to suggest that a woman's normal pregnancy food cravings are unhealthy.
What to do about your cravings
Ultimately, the professionals we spoke with concurred that you should be aware of your pregnant desires and only occasionally give them in.
A diet that satisfies your preferences, emotional and nutritional demands, and both is considered healthy.
Rather of fighting desires, she advises pregnant women to embrace them. But resist the urge to let bad appetites totally take precedence over your need for a balanced diet.
consuming small, regular meals may assist you avoid consuming too much sugar because cravings for sweets might occasionally be the consequence of a drop in blood sugar. Other strategies to reduce unhealthy cravings include exercising, eating breakfast every day (skipping breakfast can exacerbate desires), and making sure you have plenty of emotional support.
In the end, the experts we talked to agreed that you should be conscious of your pregnancy cravings and only indulge them sometimes.
A diet is deemed healthy if it meets your nutritional needs, emotional needs, and personal preferences.
She counsels expectant mothers to accept their aspirations rather than resist them. However, fight the impulse to completely disregard your need for a balanced diet in favor of giving in to your lousy appetite.
Small, frequent meals will help you prevent overindulging in sugar because sometimes a drop in blood sugar can lead to desires for sweets. Exercise, having breakfast every day (skipping it might intensify appetites), and making sure you have lots of emotional support are some ways to lessen harmful cravings.
Pregnancy cravings explained
In the US, between 50 and 90 percent of pregnant women say they have at least one food urge. And there are all kinds of cravings—from salty to sweet to... odd.
When we asked expectant mothers on BabyCenter, nearly 40% of them reported their primary craving was for sweets. Only 33% of people selected salty snacks. Third (17%) were those who were hankering after spicy food. Those with a preference for sour foods, such as citrus fruits, green apples, and sour candies, trailed behind (at 10%).
The profound hormonal shifts that pregnant women experience can significantly affect taste and scent. (This would help explain why menopausal women may also have intense dietary aversions and urges.) Ultimately, though, nobody can say for sure.
We do know, however, that food appetites and aversions are related. According to a study conducted in Ethiopia, women with food aversions were over twice as likely to have cravings for particular meals as women without them.
When do pregnancy cravings start?
Each woman experiences cravings at a different time, and some expectant mothers never experience any desires during pregnancy. However, desires can appear early in pregnancy, frequently get stronger in the second trimester, and then eventually go away in the third trimester or after delivery.
During the first trimester of pregnancy, a lot of women experience food aversions instead of appetites. When you are unable to tolerate the taste or smell of a food, you have a food aversion. Food aversions are rather prevalent during pregnancy and are the antithesis of desires. They frequently begin with morning sickness, usually in weeks five or six of pregnancy.
What do pregnancy cravings mean?
Some medical professionals and nutritionists think that some appetites have purpose. For instance, there is little evidence to establish a causal relationship between iron or zinc deficiency and the illness known as pica, which is characterized by intense cravings for nonfood items like laundry starch, dirt, or clay.
There are several eating cravings that could be important to monitor. For instance, practitioners of alternative medicine think that a deficiency of magnesium may cause a chocolate addiction. Whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and green vegetables like spinach are among the foods high in magnesium.
Belew has also found that many of her patients need more essential fatty acids in their diet. When they start taking fish oil or flax oil, their food cravings disappear.
Similarly, a craving for red meat seems like a transparent cry for protein. And the mom in our survey who said she consumed great quantities of peaches may have been responding to her body's need for beta carotene.
Judith Brown, author of What to Eat Before, During, and After Pregnancy, agrees that in some cases there might be a biological cause for cravings. She points to pregnant women who develop an aversion to certain foods or drinks that might be harmful (like diet soda, coffee, or alcohol).
But Elizabeth Somer, author of Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy, doesn't see much of a link between a pregnant woman's cravings and what her body needs.
Studies reveal little connection between cravings and dietary needs, despite the fact that many believe their cravings to be substantial. People would eat more veggies and less chocolate if they sought what their bodies needed.
Moreover, the data at this time is anecdotal, although being difficult to deny.
Food cravings have no scientific explanation. There is no evidence to suggest that a woman's cravings are a reflection of what her body or unborn child needs, and there is also no evidence to suggest that a woman's normal pregnancy food cravings are unhealthy.
What to do about your cravings
Ultimately, the professionals we spoke with concurred that you should be aware of your pregnant desires and only occasionally give them in.
A diet that satisfies your preferences, emotional and nutritional demands, and both is considered healthy.
Rather of fighting desires, she advises pregnant women to embrace them. But resist the urge to let bad appetites totally take precedence over your need for a balanced diet.
consuming small, regular meals may assist you avoid consuming too much sugar because cravings for sweets might occasionally be the consequence of a drop in blood sugar. Other strategies to reduce unhealthy cravings include exercising, eating breakfast every day (skipping breakfast can exacerbate desires), and making sure you have plenty of emotional support.
In the end, the experts we talked to agreed that you should be conscious of your pregnancy cravings and only indulge them sometimes.
A diet is deemed healthy if it meets your nutritional needs, emotional needs, and personal preferences.
She counsels expectant mothers to accept their aspirations rather than resist them. However, fight the impulse to completely disregard your need for a balanced diet in favor of giving in to your lousy appetite.
Small, frequent meals will help you prevent overindulging in sugar because sometimes a drop in blood sugar can lead to desires for sweets. Exercise, having breakfast every day (skipping it might intensify appetites), and making sure you have lots of emotional support are some ways to lessen harmful cravings.
