For some, it’s chocolate; for others, it’s pizza, cheeseburgers, or fries. Food cravings are a common experience for many people, but where do they originate, and how can they be managed?
According to Dr. Rajita Sinha, a professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Yale’s School of Medicine, cravings are essentially a desire for something rewarding. Various factors, such as smells or visual cues, can trigger these cravings. “Our sensory systems can activate the motivational or reward pathways in the brain, even if we don’t directly see the food,” explains Sinha. Familiar people, places, and situations associated with particular foods can also spark cravings, firing up the brain’s reward circuits.
Research has shown that exposure to food-related cues can increase heart rate, gastric activity, and salivation, while also stimulating several brain pathways associated with reward. Food stimuli can even activate glucose metabolism, the process that converts food into energy, and trigger the release of dopamine, a brain chemical that motivates us towards pleasurable and rewarding activities.
It’s important to distinguish cravings from hunger. Cravings can occur even in the absence of external triggers, particularly if someone has been depriving themselves of a food their brain finds rewarding. These cravings are not purely physical; they are tied to the brain’s decision-making regions, which assess the value of consuming the desired food. For instance, smelling a chocolate cake might lead you to think, “This will taste amazing and make me feel good,” reinforcing the craving.
Dr. Meghan Butryn, a professor of psychological and brain sciences at Drexel University, points out that cravings have an evolutionary basis. Our ancestors were driven to seek out calorie-dense foods, which were crucial for survival when food was scarce. “The brain circuitry that makes eating these foods rewarding still exists, even though our environment has drastically changed,” says Butryn. Today, in developed countries, food is abundant and requires little effort to obtain, yet our ingrained eating patterns and the associated rewards persist.
To manage cravings, Sinha and Butryn suggest several strategies. One approach is distraction: shifting your focus to something else when a craving hits. Another method, called “urge surfing,” involves acknowledging the craving without acting on it. By simply observing the urge without responding, its intensity often diminishes over time. This process is linked to the cognitive systems in the brain that influence decision-making.
Resisting cravings can be more challenging for some people. A study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that obese individuals had to exert more cognitive effort to control cravings than their non-obese counterparts. Additionally, research indicates that men and women tend to experience different types of cravings, with men more often craving savory foods like meat, and women preferring sweets like chocolate.
One effective way to reduce cravings is to limit exposure to tempting foods. “Modify your food environment so that you have less exposure and access to highly tempting but unhealthy foods,” advises Butryn. This can be achieved by not purchasing such foods in the first place. Since most calories are consumed at home, not having these items readily available can significantly reduce the need for willpower to resist them.
By understanding the triggers and mechanisms behind cravings, and employing practical strategies to manage them, it is possible to take control and make healthier food choices.
READ MORE: