When it comes to cravings, everyone has their own vice – chocolate, cake, soda, French fries, bacon…. We all have a burning desire to eat something unhealthy every now and again. But what we crave could be more than just a matter of taste – an underlying health condition could be at play.

Your cravings might be trying to tell you something

There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself occasionally. After all, having a perfect diet 100 percent of the time isn’t realistic. We’re only human. But have you ever thought about why you crave a particular snack or treat? There’s a good chance it goes beyond your taste buds. Cravings can be caused by the following:

  1. Low mood (stress, anxious, or sad feelings)
  2. Tiredness
  3. Low blood sugar
  4. Imbalanced hormones
  5. Dehydration
  6. Nutrient imbalance

But what about specific types of food? Whether you’re fixated on sugary juice, popcorn, or a burger, here’s what the research says:

Sugar: Low blood sugar or a magnesium deficiency

Low blood sugar can be a cause of sugar cravings. But is it really low blood sugar or just low energy? If you have diabetes, then you might get low blood sugar if you took too much insulin or other medication in relation to what you ate. In this case, the low blood sugar can be severe – even a medical emergency. In the absence of diabetes, low blood sugar can actually occur after eating – as a reaction to eating too much sugar. This can cause your blood sugar to spike, your body to overcompensate with too much insulin, and a resulting dip in blood sugar can ensue. This is called reactive hypoglycemia and can benefit from adding more fiber to your diet, which slows the absorption of dietary sugars into the bloodstream. You might also crave a quick sugar energy fix if you go too long without eating or aren’t getting enough post-workout nutrition.

If you crave chocolate, which is high in magnesium, then it’s possible you have a deficiency in that nutrient. Data from the National Institutes of Health shows that nearly 50 percent of Americans aren’t getting enough magnesium from their diet.1 The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for adults is 310 mg and 420 mg, for women and men, respectively.1 However, the debate over whether a magnesium deficiency causes cravings is ongoing, because researchers point out that people rarely crave other high-magnesium foods like nuts.2 If you’re not getting enough magnesium, then choose a dark chocolate with a higher cocoa content and less sugar. Chocolate that contains 90-percent cocoa is an excellent source of magnesium, with 250 mg magnesium per 100-gram serving.3

Not getting enough magnesium in your diet? Supplement with magnesium – available in capsules or powder.

Salt: To restore your body’s balance of water and electrolytes

One of the most common causes of craving a salty snack is dehydration. In this case, the salty craving motivates you to drink more water. Overhydration works the other way around; you drank too much water, which can cause low sodium in your bloodstream.

Both dehydration and overhydration are closely related to electrolyte imbalance. Dehydration is probably more noticeable when you are working out, especially if you sweat a lot or are exercising for a long period of time – particularly in hot weather. Your body loses electrolytes (sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, and magnesium), as well as water as you sweat. While drinking water can help, you might also need salt to fully restore your electrolyte balance.

Consider drinking Thorne's Catalyte to restore electrolytes and promote rehydration at the cellular level.*

Protein: A lack in the diet or an iron deficiency?

A craving for protein might simply mean you’re not incorporating enough into your everyday diet. A lack of protein can cause you to feel weak, tired, and moody. Interestingly, a low protein level also can manifest as a sugar craving because of protein’s role in regulating blood sugar levels.

If the idea of meat sounds particularly appetizing, then you might be lacking iron. The most efficient form of iron, heme iron, comes from meat sources like pork, beef, and chicken. Although you can get iron from plant sources, your body doesn’t absorb non-heme iron as efficiently as heme iron. Women of childbearing age should be especially conscious of having an iron deficiency because of monthly loss and increased needs during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Low iron levels are often seen in athletes, particularly female athletes, long-distance runners, and vegan/vegetarians.

If your iron level is low, then you can fight fatigue and other effects of iron deficiency with Thorne’s Iron Bisglycinate or Ferrasorb.*

Exercise helps curb unhealthy cravings

You know exercise is good for your health, but how exactly does it impact cravings? As you exercise, your appetite increases to keep up with your body’s increasing energy demands. But there’s more to it; interestingly, research also indicates that exercise can help you keep your cravings under control.

A 2015 study found that walking at moderate intensity for 15 minutes can reduce short-term cravings in overweight people.4 Subjects refrained from eating sugary snacks for three days. Before each assessment, they fasted, only drank water, and did not engage in any exercise for two hours prior to the 15-minute exercise protocol.

During the assessments, the experimental group warmed up for two minutes before walking at a moderate pace on a treadmill. The control group sat quietly for 15 minutes. Then, both groups sat quietly for five minutes before completing an online test that had successfully induced physiological arousal and stress in previous research. Finally, participants unwrapped a sugary snack of their choosing and held it for 30 seconds. While handling a sugary snack increased participant cravings, exercise reduced the effect. 

The authors say their findings add to the “increasing evidence that physical activity can somehow help to regulate the urge to consume snack food,” and are similar to results from a study on cigarettes.5

A 2022 animal study lends support to the concept that exercise can decrease cravings.6 First, researchers introduced rats to levers that dispensed high-fat pellets. Then, for one month, the experimental group completed high-intensity treadmill running, while the control didn’t do any additional exercise. During this time, none of the rats had access to the levers. After 30 days, the rats had access to the levers again. The researchers found the experimental group pressed the levers significantly less than their sedentary counterparts, indicating that high-intensity exercise decreased their cravings, and more importantly, suggesting this could apply to humans.6

Introducing Thorne’s “mix-in” ingredients

Need some cooking or baking inspiration to tackle your cravings? If you struggle with your cravings and want to enhance the flavor of your meals while getting enough daily nutrients, then consider adding a supplement.

At Thorne, one of our top priorities is providing you with health solutions that actually taste good. We feel that’s an often-overlooked feature in the supplement industry; sacrificing taste for the health benefits might work in the short term, but supplementing shouldn’t be a chore. If it is, then you might not be consistent, making your health goals harder to achieve.

Here are three tasty Thorne products you should consider cooking and baking with or simply using as a mix-in:

1. Daily Greens Plus

A new recipe for healthy aging, our Daily Greens Plus is a unique blend of powdered greens, botanicals, mushrooms, and micronutrients that support foundational daily nutrition and cognitive performance, while promoting a healthy stress response.* Learn more here about the all-star cast of ingredients in Daily Greens Plus.

No matter the season, Daily Greens Plus blends in seamlessly with any food you make. Shake things up with healthy, summery drinks or enjoy comfort foods like lattes and muffins. Our team is always experimenting with new recipes, so stay tuned for more Daily Greens recipes on Take 5 Daily!

2. Protein Powders

As the building blocks for cells, tissues, and organs, protein is foundational for your everyday function, especially if you’re trying to build muscle. Proteins also regulate hormones, antibodies, and enzymes. So, make sure you get enough of this macronutrient!

Several of our protein powders come in chocolate or vanilla flavor, making them a tasty cooking or baking ingredient beyond smoothies and shakes. Our suite of protein powders includes Whey Protein Isolate, RecoveryPro, and MediClear- SGS. For more on how to choose the perfect protein powder, check out our guide. 

Need some inspiration? We’ve made whey ice cream, protein bars, protein shakes, and hot chocolate. For additional recipe ideas, follow us on social media!

3. Collagen Plus

Embrace healthy aging with Collagen Plus. Whether you’re young and trying to maintain the appearance of your skin, or you’re looking to reduce wrinkles and fine lines, this blend is for people of all ages.*

Collagen Plus promotes glowing skin, healthy hair, and nourished nails, all in a luscious passion berry-flavored powder.* You might see a difference in as soon as four weeks.*

This product is the perfect addition to any smoothie, or simply stir in a glass of water.

Looking for a collagen option with more versatility? Collagen Fit, an unflavored powder with 15 grams of collagen peptides per scoop, mixes easily into your favorite hot or cold beverage to promote both joint health and the growth of lean muscle mass.*

References

  1. National Institutes of Health. Magnesium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/. [Accessed Dec. 12, 2022].
  2. Yanovski S. Sugar and fat: Cravings and aversions. J Nutr 2003;133(3). doi:10.1093/jn/133.3.835s
  3. Cinquanta L, Di Cesare C, Manoni R, et al. Mineral essential elements for nutrition in different chocolate products. Int J Food Sci Nutr 2016 Nov;67(7):773-8. doi: 10.1080/09637486.2016.1199664. 
  4. Ledochowski L, Ruedl G, Taylor A, Kopp M. Acute effects of brisk walking on sugary snack cravings in overweight people, affect and responses to a manipulated stress situation and to a sugary snack cue: a crossover study. PLoS One 2015;10(3):e0119278. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0119278
  5. Taylor A, Katomeri M. Effects of a brisk walk on blood pressure responses to the Stroop, a speech task and a smoking cue among temporarily abstinent smokers. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2006 Jan;184(2):247-53. doi: 10.1007/s00213-005-0275-1. 
  6. Kirkpatrick GE, Dingess PM, Aadland JA, Brown TE. Acute high‐intensity interval exercise attenuates incubation of craving for foods high in fat. Obesity 2022;30(5):994-998. doi:10.1002/oby.23418