Decoding cravings: Why your body craves junk food (2024)

FAQs

Decoding cravings: Why your body craves junk food? ›

The stress precipitates habit circuits in the brain. When we crave junk foods, along with the anticipatory release of dopamine in the brain, our stomach is producing ghrelin, known as the hunger hormone, which makes us seek out that calorie-dense junk food.

Leptin, the appetite-suppressing hormone, decreases. Cortisol, the stress hormone, may increase, stimulating your appetite. Research shows that sleep deprivation causes an increase in overall hunger, which can lead to cravings of sugar, fat or both.

The brain is prone to craving junk food simply because it tastes good and makes the brain happy. This is especially true in people who are overweight or obese. You engage good feeling centers in your brain when you snack on the foods you enjoy, and this will prompt you to indulge even more.

Are they secret signals from your body that tell you exactly what you need? In general, a craving can signal something is out of balance, but it doesn't always mean you need a certain type of food. A craving might mean you're dehydrated, stressed or lacking sleep.

Options like fruit, yogurt, eggs, and whole grains can help satisfy your desire for certain foods. You can also speak to a healthcare provider or registered dietitian if you have concerns about any cravings you experience.

Unlike hunger, cravings occur when your body doesn't need food. Many factors can trigger cravings. Triggers might be environmental — the sight, smell, or sound of a food being made might start a craving. Stress, lack of sleep, hormones, and certain personality traits can also be involved.

When we eat junk foods the reward circuits within our brains activate and release the chemical dopamine. Our brains can become overwhelmed by the pleasure from these rewarding foods and in response, the brain adapts and makes more receptors for dopamine.

Within two days your blood sugar levels should return to normal. You won't notice this other than you might feel less moody, less stressed, and less anxious. Within a week or so you'll notice that you feel less bloated, most noticeably in your face, and you'll lose excess weight at the rate of about 2lbs per week.

What are the four most powerful triggers of cravings? ›

An imbalance of hormones, such as leptin and serotonin, could also lead to food cravings. Cravings also involve the appetite centers of the brain, even though they tend to be separate from hunger. Various factors can affect a person's food cravings.

The Mental

Fear, stress, anxiety, joy, pleasure, and boredom are common feelings that can affect our eating patterns. In one study, emotions, especially of the negative kind, were associated with a higher tendency to use food as a coping mechanism, inducing more intense feelings of hunger.

Instead, researchers are finding that chronic stress, fatigue and dieting cause us to crave foods that stimulate reward circuits in the brain or foods linked to happy memories. Many of these foods are too sweet, too salty or too high in calories. (Think comfort food.)

Our bodies respond to foods that hit the bliss point by triggering reward pathways in our brain and encouraging dopamine signalling. Our brain remembers what foods make us feel good and triggers a craving for these foods when we feel bad.

For instance, chocolate cravings are often blamed on low magnesium levels, whereas cravings for meat or cheese are often seen as a sign of low iron or calcium levels. Fulfilling your cravings is believed to help your body meet its nutrient needs and correct the nutrient deficiency.

Mehakdeep (Mac) Singh, co-founder and dietician at Fitelo, said, “Sleep deprivation often triggers cravings for junk food due to hormonal imbalances. Ghrelin, the hunger hormone, increases, while leptin, which signals fullness, decreases, prompting a desire for quick energy fixes.

Some people crave salty foods like crisps, chips, and savoury snacks. This is linked to low levels of electrolytes, dehydration, and stress, which may be shown in symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and an inability to concentrate. Eat more Vitamin B foods like nuts, seeds, whole grains, fruit, and vegetables.

Lack of Sleep

Not getting enough rest can affect the hormones in your body that control hunger. People who are sleep-deprived have a bigger appetite and find it harder to feel full. You're also more likely to crave high-fat, high-calorie foods when you're tired.