While often dismissed as a simple lack of willpower, food cravings can be far more complex.

While often dismissed as a simple lack of willpower, food cravings can be far more complex. According to Jandri Barnard, a dietician at Mediclinic Newcastle, cravings are biological and psychological signals, deeply tied to your daily habits like sleep, stress management, and nutrition.

“Food cravings are intense urges for specific foods like sweets, salty snacks, or carbohydrates mostly,” Barnard explains. “Sometimes this can indicate underlying nutrient deficiencies, but more often it reflects interactions between hormonal fluctuations like cortisol and insulin, and emotional needs which are tied to stress, fatigue, or the brain reward pathways.”

Some of the more common cravings that people experience include:

  • Chocolate
    • Could indicate a need for magnesium, or a desire for a quick energy and mood boost.
    • Linked to high stress, or an unbalanced diet when the body seeks rapid comfort as the brain’s “reward” pathways are stimulated making it a go-to comfort treat.
  • Baked sweet goods
    • Often due to dehydration when the body confuses thirst with a hunger for glycogen, or unstable blood glucose spikes and crashes.
    • Seen in people experiencing sleep deprivation or overall exhaustion as the brain seeks rapid energy.
    • Emotionally associated with stress-eating or seeking comfort and emotional fulfilment.
  • Salty snacks like chips and processed meats
    • Can indicate dehydration or an electrolyte imbalance.
    • Many processed salty and fatty foods are engineered to hit the “bliss point” to provide dopamine and a short-term release of tension.
    • Often a sign of chronic stress or fatigue affecting the adrenal glands.
  • Carbohydrates like pasta, bread or rice in its refined form
    • Usually a signal of low energy levels or dip in serotonin (the “happy” hormone).
    • Often spikes when dieting, restricting calories or skipping meals.
    • Carbohydrates trigger a temporary boost in serotonin, which can calm the brain during states of anxiety, sadness or high stress.
  • Ice, dirt or clay
    • Known as “pica”.
    • Sometimes a symptom of anaemia or an iron or zinc deficiency.

Underlying lifestyle factors play a significant role in each of these cravings, says Barnard. “Stress, poor sleep, hormones, and emotional health are deeply intertwined drivers of appetite,” she explains. “They can alter the brain’s reward centres and disrupt hunger signals, turning appetite control into a biological challenge rather than a simple matter of willpower.”

This is why people often crave sugary, salty and highly processed foods when they are tired, stressed or overwhelmed. “These foods provide a quick chemical hit of energy, trigger pleasure centres in the brain, and soothe the nervous system in the short term,” she says.

Physiologically, this is driven by hormonal responses. “Stress increases cortisol, while poor sleep elevates ghrelin and decreases leptin,” Barnard explains. “This combination causes you to crave high sugar, high fat or high salt foods.” While these foods provide immediate satisfaction, they are often followed by blood glucose crashes, driving repeated cravings.

Although recurring cravings can sometimes point to underlying issues such as blood sugar imbalances, hormonal changes, or nutritional deficiencies, Barnard cautions against oversimplified interpretations. “Social media claims that specific cravings directly signal nutrient deficiencies are largely myths with little scientific backing,” she says.

For example, while chocolate contains magnesium, it is more often craved due to its combination of sugar, fat, and texture, which activates pleasure pathways. Similarly, highly processed foods are craved not because of a lack of nutrients, but because they are designed to be hyper-palatable and stimulate the brain’s reward centres.

“Real deficiencies rarely trigger direct cravings,” says Barnard. “For example, in severe iron deficiency, instead of craving iron-rich foods like spinach or steak, individuals may experience pica.”

Understanding when cravings are normal and when they may be cause for concern is important. “Healthy cravings usually fade with distraction,” Barnard says. “In contrast, unhealthy patterns persist, show a loss of control, or cause preoccupation.”

For persistent cravings, she recommends the “15-minute rule”. “Try to distract yourself with a non-food activity like taking a brisk walk or chatting with a friend to let the wave pass”

Other practical ways to manage cravings include combining protein and fibre to promote satiety and stabilise blood sugar, or drinking a glass of water as dehydration can masquerade as hunger or craving.

Managing emotional triggers is also key. “Stress, fatigue and boredom are closely linked to cravings,” Barnard notes. “Identifying triggers and replacing them with alternative coping strategies can help.”

That said, if cravings become intrusive or interfere with daily life, Barnard suggests discussing them with a healthcare professional.

“Unmanaged cravings and unhealthy eating patterns can progressively alter brain chemistry and hormone regulation,” she says. “If left unchecked, these ongoing habits can lead to a multitude of chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity, as well as gastrointestinal complications due to imbalanced gut microbiomes, constipation and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.”

 

For further information, please contact:

Mediclinic Southern Africa

Corporate Communication Manager

Email: media@mediclinic.co.za

Tel: 021 809 6500