Whether they hit every day or once in a while, sugar cravings are simply a fact of life.
The science surrounding sugar cravings can actually be pretty complicated.
Thats because they typically dont have one single, easily identifiable cause.
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Whats more, Malone notes, these factors often overlap and intersect, complicating matters further.
But dont worry; well break it down for you.
Read on for everything you oughta know about the four big elements that may be behind your confectionery cravings.
Your blood sugar (and all its ups and downs) might be involved.
In fact, fluctuations inblood sugarare one of the biggest contributors to sugar cravings, according to Malone.
When they drop, alarm bells start ringing, nudging you to take action to return to baseline.
Having a sweet craving can be a way of our bodies telling us, Hey, werenot eating enougha.k.a.
taking in enough fuel, Tsui says.
Sugar cravings can also be a response to the specifictypeof food youre eating, rather than the amount.
Thats why your meals and snacks should represent a balance of all three macros: carbs as well asproteinandfats.
But your environment can come into play too…
In this case, your sugar cravings are the result of a routine that gets ingrained, Malone explains.
If you always eat dessert after dinner, they might pop up after you finish your evening meal.
…and dont discount your emotional state, either.
Many people have strong positive or negative feelings about sugar that can influence their cravings, according to Tsui.
(Hence the term comfort food.)
But this absence can leave a hole that paradoxically drives that sugar craving as well.
After all, we tend to want what we cant have.
And last but not least, sugar is also just plainpalatable,period.
Revelation alert: Its no coincidence that humans are so drawn to sugar.
Whats more, this draw is reflected in your brain chemistry.
Simply put, sugar not onlytastesgoodnaturally appealing to your palatebut it also makes youfeelgood.
Heres the bottom line on what to keep in mind when youre craving something sweet.
Often, I find its a combination, Tsui says.
Maybe youre used to ending a meal with a sweet treat.
Maybe your blood sugar took a nosedive because your granola bar lunch skimped on protein.
Sugar cravings in general are a normal and natural experiencea fact of life, really.
Even babies show a preference for sweet flavors, suggesting an attraction is biologically predisposed, according to Tsui.
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