You can almost always tell when it’s coming. Not only can you probably schedule it, but you can always feel the differences in your body. The bloating comes along with the pains and not to mention that sudden craving for carbs and sugar, especially chocolate. And then you’re stuck with that feeling for an entire week. You feel like you could eat a chocolate bar or two everyday when you’re on your period, but the question is why? Why do we feel this way when we’re menstruating? Is there some hormone telling us that we should be eating chocolate? Is there some scientific reasoning that says chocolate makes us feel less painful? What’s going on here?
Truth be told, there are a lot of differing medical ideas out there about why exactly we crave chocolate when we’re pre-menstrual and menstruating. There’s no 100% scientifically proven reason out there, although experts think they’re starting to get closer and closer to an answer.
So today I want to tell you ladies about a couple of the theories out there that may explain why you want to reach for the chocolate bar right before your period hits you.
What’s going on inside during your period?
Let’s first look at what’s going on inside of you when you’re on your period. Menstruation comes in phases, something we have spoken before about on this blog, but I would like to cover again.
In stage 1, the follicular phase, the ovary follicles begin to develop. During this phase, many follicles are lost, however some grow to fill the antrum, one of which will go to full maturity and then be discarded. This growth is stimulated by the hormone FSH along with estrogen. However, estrogen levels do not increase until the end of this phase.
In stage 2, the Luteal Phase, the wall of the matured follicle ruptures and antral fluid begins to flow, carrying an oocyte to the ovary’s surface. This follicle becomes the corpus luteum which secrets estrogen and progesterone and causes LH hormone levels to rise. The oocyte then enters the uterine tube and if not fertilized, is degenerated to a scar tissue. At the end of the phase, estrogen and progesterone levels decrease.
Stage 3 is the menstrual phase in which the dead tissue of the uterus causes the lining of the uterus to shed. This is when bleeding takes place for 4-7 days. During this time, estrogen and progesterone levels are still low.
During the Stage 4, the Proliferative phase, the uterus renews itself in preparation for the restarting of the cycle (Stanfield).
Some professionals believe you crave chocolate due to hormones
Amanda Bontempo, M.S., R.D. dietitian at New York University Langone Medical Center states that your hormones are at blame for the craving of sugary and fatty foods before your period.
She says that during the time of your pre-menstrual cycle, the hormone cortisol, which reacts to stress, spikes and the hormone serotonin, which is responsible for you feeling good, dips. This fluctuation actually makes your body crave food with sugars and fats because they boost up your levels of serotonin which combats cortisol.
reguardingwomen.com
However, one sugary snack, which will boost you up and make you feel good, will eventually cause you to crash and make you crave yet another sugary snack.
Eliminating processed foods, caffeine, and bad carbs in the weeks leading to your period can actually help you decrease these cravings. Instead focus on fruits, veggies, and lots of protein! ( Oerman, 2014).
Some professionals believe you crave chocolate due to the stress of coming bleeding
According to neuroscientist, Dr. Amy Jo Stavnezer, women only crave chocolate before bleeding and when bleeding begins, they stop craving chocolate all together. During those days before your period begins, estrogen and progesterone levels are low suggesting that it may not be due to hormonal increases. Instead, she believes that our cravings for chocolate are actually due to the stress of the coming bleeding and our culture.
Periods are stressful after all. They hurt, we feel like crap, and they last way too long. And what have we been taught to do to deal with stress? Eat chocolate. So, the suggestion here is that it’s basically a cultural reinforcement. If we eat chocolate we’ll feel better or we reward our selves for getting through such a rough, unpleasant time.
In fact, there are actually some studies out there that suggest that there are cultural differences in period chocolate consumption. Switzerland, Ireland, and the UK have the most chocolate consumption. So if I have any Swiss, Irish, or British readers out there, share in the comments if you crave chocolate right before and during your period and if you always reach for a chocolate bar to satisfy your sweet tooth! (Albers, 2014).
There is no definite answer
These are only two theories done by two very well trained, but highly differing, professionals on why we crave chocolate. In reality it may be one, it may be the other, or it may be a mixture of the two. There may also be other theories out there that I did not come across in my research for an answer. I’ll link some other articles that also had similar answers as well, so you can read for yourself what some of the theories are. You can come up with your own theory of why YOU crave chocolate. The important take home message is that it’s completely normal and you are certainly not alone in your cravings.
For me, I think it’s a mix of both these theories. My periods always seem very stressful to me throughout, so it is very possible that my stress hormone levels have risen. However, I also seem to only crave chocolate when I am cramped, so I highly suspect that I reach for that chocolate bar as an attempt to lighten my mood and “reward” myself for getting through my period!
What do you think of these theories? Why do you think you crave chocolate during your period? Let me know in the comments below.
Until next time,
Kat
Sources and further reading:
Albers, S. Psy.D. (2014). Why Do I Crave Chocolate During My Period? Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/comfort-cravings/201402/why-do-i-crave-chocolate-during-my-period
Oerman, A. (2014). Q&A: Why DO I Always Crave Sugary, Fatty Foods Before My Period? Women’s Health. http://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/pms-cravings
Stanfield, C.L. (2013). Principles of Human Physiology. Pearson. 5: 649-654.
McKenna, A (2011). Why do We Crave Chocolate on our Periods? Emerita. https://emerita.com/chocolate/
Go Ask Alice. Chocolate Cravings and PMS. Columbia University. http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/answered-questions/chocolate-cravings-and-pms
Kat Classics 