77 Cravings -What They Might Mean

March 25, 2001

77. Cravings-What They Might MeanCravings, which can sometimes mean allergies, are more often nature's way ofletting you know that you're not getting enough of certain vitamins orminerals. Frequently these specific hungers develop because overall diet isinadequate.Some of the most common cravings are:Peanut Butter This is definitely among the top ten, and it's not at allsurprising. Peanut butter is a rich source of B vitamins. If you findyourself dipping into the jar often, it might be because you're under stressand your ordinary B intake has become insufficient. Since 50g of peanutbutter-a third of a cup-is 284 calories, you'll find it easier on yourwaistline to take a B-complex supplement if you do not want to gain weight.Bananas When you catch yourself reaching for this fruit again and again, itcould be because your body needs potassium. One medium banana has 555 mg.People taking diuretics or cortisone ( which rob the body of neededpotassium) often crave bananas.Cheese If you're more a cheese luster than a cheese lover, there's a goodchance that your real hunger is for calcium and phosphorus. ( If it'sprocessed cheese that you've been snacking on, you've been getting aluminum,too, without knowing it.) For one thing, you might try eating more broccoli.That's high in calcium and phosphorus, and a lot lower in calories thancheese.Apples An apple a day doesn't necessarily keep the doctor away, but itoffers a lot of good things that you might be missing in otherfoods-calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium-and is an excellent sourceof cholesterol lowering pectin! If you have a tendency to eat a lot ofsaturated fat, it could account for your apple cravings.Butter Most often vegetarians crave butter because of their ownlow-saturated-fat intake. Salted butter, on the other hand, might be cravedfor the salt alone.Cola The craving for cola is most often a sugar hunger and an addiction tocaffeine. ( See section 197. ) The beverage has no nutritive value.Nuts If you're a little nutty about nuts, you probably could use moreprotein, B vitamins, or fat in your diet. If it's salted nuts you favor, youcould be craving the sodium and not the nuts. You'll find that people understress tend to eat more nuts than relaxed individuals.Ice cream High as ice cream is in calcium, most people crave it for itssugar content. Hipoglycemics and diabetics have great hungers for it, as dopeople seeking to recapture the security of childhood.Pickles If you're pregnant and want pickles, you're probably after the salt.And if you're not pregnant and crave pickles, the reason is most likely thesame. ( Pickles also contain a substantial amount of potassium.)Bacon Cravings for bacon are usually because of its fat. People onrestricted diets are most susceptible to greasy binges. Unfortunately,saturated fat is not bacon's only drawback. Bacon is very high incarcinogenic nitrites. If you do indulge in bacon, be sure you're ingestingenough vitamin C and A, D, and E to counteract the nitrites.Eggs Aside from the protein ( two eggs give you 13 g. ), sulfur, aminoacids, and selenium protein, egg lovers might also be seeking theyolk's fat content or, paradoxically, its cholesterol-and-fat-dissolvingcholine.Cantaloupe just because you like its taste might not be the only reason youcrave this melon. Cantaloupe is high in potassium and vitamin A. In fact, aquarter of a melon has 3,400 IU vitamin A. Since the melon also offersvitamin C calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, biotin, and inositol, it's not abad craving to give in to. There's only about 60 calories in half a melon.Olives Whether you crave them green or black, you're likely to be after thesalt. People with under-active thyroids are most often the first to reachfor them.Salt No guesswork here, it's the sodium you're after. Cravers quite possiblyhave a thyroid iodine deficiency or low sodium Addison's disease.Hypertensives often crave salt, and shouldn't.Onions Cravings for spicy foods can some times indicate problems in thelungs or sinuses.Chocolate Definitely one of the foremost cravings, if not the foremost.Chocoholics are addicted to the caffeine as well as the sugar. ( There are 5to 10 mg. of caffeine in a cup of cocoa.) If you want to kick the chocolatehabit, try carob instead. ( Carob, also called St. John's Bread, is madefrom the edible pods of the Mediterranean carob tree.)Milk If you're still craving milk as an adult, you might need a calciumsupplement. Then again, it might be the amino acids-such as tryptophan,leucine, and lysine-that your body needs. Nervous people often seek out thetryptophan in milk, since it has a very soothing effect.Chinese food Of course it's delicious, but often it's the monosodiumglutamate in the food that fosters the craving. People with saltdeficiencies usually go all out for Chinese food. ( MSG can cause ahistamine reaction in some individuals. Headaches and flushing may occur.Most Chinese restaurants will now prepare your food without MSG if yourequest it.)Mayonnaise Since this is a fatty fond, it is often craved by vegetarians andpeople who have eliminated other fats from their diet.Tart fruits A persistent craving for tart fruits can often indicate problemswith the gallbladder or liver.Paint and dirt Children have a tendency to eat paint and dirt. Frequentlythis is an indication of a calcium or vitamin-D deficiency. A hardreevaluation of your child's diet is essential, and a visit to yourpediatrician is recommended.(Vitamin Bible, Mindell, pgs 139-141, 153-156)