Fascinating Ways Your Brain Influences Food Cravings

Jan 11

In this blog, let’s get to know the science behind food cravings.

Introduction

A craving for food, usually energy-dense and very appealing types of foods such as potato chips, ice cream, or cereal, is a strong need to consume foodstuffs. Cravings are fast and strong. Food cravings are very common, affecting more than 90% of the population.

Fun fact: there are two types of food cravings - selective and non-selective. And get this: most men usually crave savory foods, while women go for the fatty and sugary stuff.

Craving some pizza or ice cream right now? Don't worry, I won't judge! Just be mindful.

People tend to associate hunger with food cravings. Both may occur simultaneously, but you needn't be hungry to experience a craving.

So what's hunger you ask?

Physiological hunger indicates that you need to eat all the calories contained in the food. It gets triggered by indicators that the body is running low on energy, such as low blood sugar, an empty stomach, or a tiny spike in insulin levels. Usually, there is a slight rise in hunger signals.

Now, let me tell you more about the reward system present in our brains!

Reward system

When we are performing the necessary survival activities like eating, drinking, and sexual activity, reward circuits exist to give us a sense of happiness.
Your reward system produces dopamine, a chemical that can trigger feelings of pleasure when you are hungry and giving up on your craving.
When you eat foods that you crave, the nucleus accumbens (the leader of the reward and motivation ship) activity occurs.
The reward pathway connects the parts of the brain that are related to memory and behaviour. That way, your brain remembers and guarantees that you're repeating this behavior.

The craving mechanism that is observed during the reward process resembles an addiction mechanism in the brain. We've all experienced a craving, and how specific it can be. Although these cravings commonly occur, they pose a risk for some people, making them overeat or develop eating disorders.

Why do we desire certain foods?

Bad gut bacteria use sugar to multiply, so cravings for sweets or junk food originate from signals by these bacteria for their preferred nutrients; stress can also induce such cravings.

However, spicy food cravings arise for diverse reasons: hormonal imbalances, stress, adapting to cold weather, needing a burst of energy, overheating, nasal congestion, pregnancy, menstruation, depression, emotions, personality, gut and circulatory reactions, eating disorders, and deprivation of spicy flavors, since burning capsaicin in chilies releases dopamine, causing a high.

Cravings tend to be triggered by unhealthy foods that undermine good diets because they're psychological and usually satisfy the taste of a specific food. Almost every scientist who has examined cravings concludes that all humans want is high-calorie-dense food per bite.

Ever wonder what causes these food cravings?

Many research studies focus on how we imagine and crave food. One study found that the strength of food cravings depends on how vividly we imagine the food. These cravings occupy our mental resources, limiting our ability to focus on other cognitive skills and disrupting our concentration.

Factors influencing cravings

As a primary preference for meals with high-calorie density is cut back in generations, regions, and cultures, craving has an important hereditary component.
In cultures, taste differs from one person to another and preferences can change over the course of time or context. However, the finetuning of preferences linked to childhood meals occurs at a young age.

The hormones and substances released from the gastrointestinal tract and liver send signals to the brain's vagus nerve, triggering the release of dopamine and creating intense cravings and pleasure.
The brain's regulation of leptin, a hormone produced after eating that induces feelings of fullness, is also linked to food cravings.
Though desires are mainly passive, they may be triggered by some kind of sensory input, sight, smell, or hearing about them.
Finding healthy alternatives is difficult in our society's prepared supply of high-calorie food but it’s not impossible.
Cravings may be stimulated by negative emotions, such as stress, sadness, low mood depression, boredom, and, oddly, happy feelings, such as excitement or relaxation in social situations. Fast food items may be sought by those who don't have sufficient sleep.
When medicinal products modify the leptin function and trigger cravings, they tend to increase persistent hunger.
It's natural for some people to lose control when eating desirable foods, and they don't feel satisfied.
There's a surge in their senses of smell and sight. They are constantly activating the amygdala until food no longer exists.
Thus, the craving is influenced by the body, mind, environment, and behaviour.

How to reduce cravings?

Reduce your stress level
Get enough sleep
Drink your water
Eat adequate protein/fiber
Avoid going without food for a long time and eat nutritious food/snacks every 3 to 4 hour
Try other dopamine-inducing activities, including taking a sunny day stroll in nature, dancing, or viewing a humorous movie and laughing loudly!

Other ways to curb your cravings

Examine Your Physiology
Improve Your Food Environment
Utilize Mindful Practices
Understand Dietary Restrictions
Accept and Recognize Your Cravings

Did you know?

Focusing on cognitive tasks like drawing, logical reasoning, reading, decision-making, learning, listening, meditating, playing number games, etc can reduce food cravings.
Involving in a simple visual activity (not those of foods) can control these cravings.
Some of these tactics include distraction since craving occurs in short-term memory. Whenever you feel the urge, touch your forehead and count backward from 100.
Resisting those urges doesn't cause us to crave more. Scientists explain that cravings are the result of habit. Changing your habits seems to curb the cravings instead of giving in to them.
Personal cues such as pictures, smells, or memories of foods can trigger cravings. Finding out your triggers helps you to avoid them.

"It's not just the food; it's the associations you've formed with the foods."

The researchers from Exeter University in the UK conducted a study with the game app called food trainer among users who got score points when they quickly identified junky foods from healthy ones. It has reduced food cravings, but they don't know the mechanism behind it. The high-score rewarding process helps the brain decide better between junk foods and healthy foods.

To conclude

I understand that managing cravings can be a real challenge when trying to eat healthily and achieve your goal weight. It can be tough to resist those tempting urges, but it's important to remember that you're not alone in this struggle. By being mindful of the environmental cues that trigger your cravings, you can take control of your response and make healthier choices. And don't worry, there are always new tools and techniques being developed to help you overcome those annoying cravings. You can reduce your craving by hiring a coach (that’s me!) to help you out, because maintaining your weight may require you to monitor your appetite and find your triggers.

References

Dr. Prathibha . https://www.al-tru-well.com

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