But, did you know that chocolate is actually linked to a nutrient that over 80 percent of Americans are deficient in? Magnesium. A deficiency in magnesium may play a role in some intense cravings. Our magnesium intake in this country has dropped dramatically below the recommended 500 mg daily amount.
According to health experts, food cravings in some cases may be indicators of nutritional deficiencies. This explains why you crave fatty foods and sugary treats while on a diet. As an example, chocolate cravings are often a sign of magnesium deficiency.
People tend to crave it because it makes people happy and it can actually lower your levels of stress as well. Chocolate contains some magnesium which women tend to be deficient in. This could explain why women seem to crave chocolate more than men.
A good way to decipher if your chocolate craving is deficiency-related is to consider taking the recommended daily dose of magnesium in supplement form. If your chocolate cravings are relieved then it's safe to say that a magnesium deficiency was probably the reason behind your cravings.
Deficiency or sweet tooth? Cravings for specific foods could be an indication of a deficiency in a micro or macro nutrient. In particular, a craving for chocolate could highlight a magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is an essential mineral and is required for over 300 enzyme reactions in the body.
Cocoa is really nutrient dense with magnesium, iron and fiber. If you follow a plant-based diet, you might be craving chocolate if you're anemic or low in iron. Chocolate has a small amount of iron, but it's easy for your body to access.
Also check ingredients; avoid any that list sugar, syrups, and fructose. A lack of magnesium can trigger sugar cravings, especially chocolate cravings. However the sugar does not give your body magnesium in fact every time you have sugar you use up magnesium as it is used by the body to help metabolise sugar.
It's tied to sugar cravings because magnesium helps regulate glucose (blood sugar) and insulin (helps the body use and store glucose). If you don't have enough magnesium, you're bound to see a difference in your sweet tooth.
A drop in essential fatty acids may be the culprit behind increased sugar cravings, says nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar in one of her recent IGTVs. To get sufficient essential fatty acids, eating ghee is important. Deficiency of Vitamin B12 is also a reason for increased sugar cravings.
Meet your magnesium needs.
Lacking magnesium affects the body's ability to regulate blood sugar levels and deliver energy into the cells which can instigate sugar cravings.
Very low magnesium levels may cause:
Headaches. Nighttime leg cramps. Numbness or tingling in the legs or hands. General body weakness.
In other words, a lack of sufficient Magnesium in your diet can cause weight gain and even obesity.
Many patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) report a change in eating behavior with an excessive craving for sweets [1,2], sometimes already occurring before the manifestation of the cardinal motor symptoms.
Magnesium is important for many processes in the body, including regulating muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure and making protein, bone, and DNA.
Cravings can be your body's way of letting you know it's not getting something it needs, such as a specific vitamin or mineral. Having certain cravings, such as for chocolate or other sweets, is also often linked to how you feel emotionally. You don't have to completely deprive yourself of the treats you enjoy.
Nutrient Deficiencies
Deficiencies in certain minerals such as zinc, chromium, iron, calcium, and magnesium may lead to sugar cravings as well, Elia says. Magnesium deficiency is specifically worth paying attention to.
Four chemicals are known to be released by the brain when eating chocolate: endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. These chemicals are used by neurons to communicate with one another.
Nut butters like peanut, almond, cashew, walnut and hazelnut are full of taste, very high in protein and low in carbs. These chocolate craving substitutes contain a good amount of fibers – almond butter is the highest on the list – which can also help improve digestion.
A blood test will be ordered to check your magnesium level. Normal range is 1.3 to 2.1 mEq/L (0.65 to 1.05 mmol/L). Other blood and urine tests that may be done include: Calcium blood test.