Why do we crave?

You know that feeling, it creeps over you unstoppable and even if you try to ignore it, cravings creep back in. It is frustrating dealing with urges that feel out of your control. But it is important to recognise cravings for what they are: a warning sign! 

Confused about cravings?

✅  Are cravings a natural response to something our body needs?

✅ Are all cravings the same thing?

✅ What can we do about cravings?

Is a craving our body telling us what we need?

Sometimes cravings can be a sign that we are deficient or have too much of something in our body. Craving a whole cake doesn’t mean your body needs sugar; it actually needs energy. However, cravings for meat, fish and milk can signal vitamin deficiencies.

One good rule to follow is that cravings certainly mean something is wrong. Whether that is a vitamin deficiency, fluctuating blood sugar or low mood needing a temporary lift, you should consider the two categories, helpful and unhelpful. These exclude pregnancy cravings, which are a completely separate issue.

How cravings help us

Vitamin B and Iron are craving culprits with serious side effects. It is important to note that most of these cause cravings for high-fat, sugar foods and drinks. This is because they cause low energy levels and blood sugar. Rather than meaning you need sugar, calories, alcohol, etc., it is a signal that your body is not processing energy correctly.

Iron

Being low on iron can cause fatigue, dizziness, and even fainting. You can get serious cravings for iron-rich foods like milk and meat.

Vitamin B

Vitamin B deficiency is one of the worst for cravings and side effects.

The fatigue caused by low vitamin B can make us crave sugar. This is because this vitamin is part of the sugar-to-energy process. Don’t have enough, and your energy levels drop, and your body asks for more fuel, in the form of sugar.

Other cravings and deficiencies

Urges to eat high sugar food can also be a sign of low magnesium, chromium and tryptophan. Don’t ignore your body. Supplements with the right ingredients and strength can help restore your body’s energy processing and reduce and eliminate cravings.

Why do I crave alcohol?

Alcohol cravings are two-fold; some are psychological. This means that alcohol makes you feel relaxed and increases GABA in your brain. This is the source of that feel-good experience when you start drinking. Later, though, your brain lowers the level of GABA because it thinks there is too much. That means every time you need more and more alcohol to get the same feeling. And during your non-drinking time, you feel much lower and more anxious. This is the cause of overdrinking in many people.

The second reason for alcohol cravings is similar to craving sugar: your body is telling you something is missing. Usually, this is vitamin B. Drinking stops or slows the absorption of vitamin B into our bodies. As mentioned before, lower vitamin B means cravings for energy, and many alcoholic drinks are high in sugar, satisfying that craving.

What to do about cravings

✅ Consider what you crave and what might be the cause

✅ Restore your body’s balance using supplements and cutting down on problem things like sugar and alcohol

✅ Try supplements to cut cravings and improve your health