Hormones and a Sweet Tooth

Folk psychology has it that women are more likely to crave sweets while on their period. I myself tend to notice that around my time of month I have a high affinity for all things sugary. But this might be the result of my believing the idea that I'm supposed to be craving sweets more and as a result paying more attention to sweets consumption around that time as opposed to leaving it unnoticed when it isn't my time. So to see if the "fact" that monthly cycle of sugar cravings is true, I thought I'd do a little research.

It turns out that there might actually be some truth to this little bit of folk psych. Cravings for sugary foods are common before and during menstruation, and some women even crave high-carb foods like pasta and bread. And apparently, these cravings can be a sign of low blood sugar. Some women's bodies are more responsive to the hormone insulin during their monthly cycle, making them more prone to drops in blood sugar levels. Thus, a sugar craving results as a signal to the body from the brain for the need of more fuel.

While we are all aware that hormone fluctuations affect menstruation, we don't usually take the step further in acknowledging the side effects that might result from the fluctuation. And it's cool to see that something stemming from folk psychology about a commonly agreed upon behavior is in fact instigated by hormones.



-Alice Huang