Why Do Women Crave Chocolate During Periods? Here’s What Your Body May Be Missing

New Delhi: It’s pretty common to crave sugary or salty food before or during your period. But why does it happen? And is it good to eat chocolate on your period? A lot of us will probably agree that our appetite can vary, and you may have even noticed a pattern that seems to be linked to where you are in your cycle.

What is the reason of craving?

It’s been suggested that our two main hormones, estrogen, and progesterone, play a role when it comes to appetite changes during the menstrual cycle. In the first part of the cycle, estrogen levels are higher as the body is preparing for ovulation. Estrogen is thought to decrease appetite, so when estrogen levels are up, we might not feel as hungry.

On the other hand, higher levels of progesterone (which rise in the luteal phase after ovulation) can increase appetite. At the end of the cycle when we tend to experience symptoms of PMS, progesterone levels are high and estrogen levels are lower, and this could help explain why we might feel hungrier at this time in our cycle.

Why do I crave sugar on my period?

Aside from more general changes to your appetite, it’s very common to crave specific foods before or during your period. There are even studies showing that food cravings, especially for sweet and salty foods, tend to increase towards the end of the cycle when many of us experience PMS symptoms. 

What causes period cravings and PMS cravings is less clear, but there are also some theories related to hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle. When our period starts, there are lower levels of a hormone that promotes calm and more stress hormones in our bodies at this time of the cycle. 

These hormonal changes may lead to us craving comfort foods such as candy or fast food. These types of foods are tasty and they’re usually higher in sugar and fat content giving us a boost of dopamine, another hormone that makes us feel good.

Why do women crave chocolate on their period?

Several studies have been carried out to investigate the relationship between the desire to eat chocolate and our cycles, and the fact that there is a link between the two is well-established, but we don't really know why this is.

Similar to what’s been found for food cravings during the cycle in general, one possible explanation for why we crave chocolate on our period is that our hormones are responsible.

Instead, there’s a research supporting that chocolate cravings before or during menstruation could actually be culturally conditioned, meaning it’s something that we learn from our environment and the behavior of others around us. 

Does chocolate help with cramps?

Dark chocolate contains minerals like copper, calcium, and magnesium, and it’s possible that one of these play a role in period pain management. Nutrients like copper and calcium are used by our bodies to produce endorphins and serotonin, some of our feel-good hormones, and they work as natural pain relief. Magnesium on the other hand can help reduce muscle cramps.