An unusual chocolate craving may signify that you have a magnesium deficiency in your body or blood. For instance, chocolate cravings are often caused by vitamins A and B-12, calcium, zinc, and magnesium defects.

A chocolate craving is merely a signal that your body is hungry. When the body feels hunger, it desires carbohydrates such as fat and sugar. Chocolate contains both in high concentrations, so chocolate cravings are expected. the body does not need chocolate or any nutritional purpose.

There are also other symptoms of a magnesium deficiency which can coincide with an individual’s unusual chocolate cravings. When chocolate is involved, it is common knowledge that the cravings indicate magnesium deficiencies.

A good way to decipher whether or not your chocolate cravings are due to deficiency is to consider taking a recommended daily dose of magnesium as a supplement.

If you have low magnesium levels, choose chocolates containing nuts, which are also rich in magnesium. While there are other foods high in magnesium, chocolate is the one food that is also so heavily linked with our brain.

Chocolate Is Not a Diet Food

Chocolate does not need to be your primary method of increasing your magnesium, but it certainly does quell these cravings that I get. Try going with a low-sugar chocolate bar, or maybe you would prefer to take a magnesium supplement, which can significantly curb your cravings. If you turn to higher-processed, higher-sugar-content chocolate, be mindful of the portions and incorporate other foods. Instead of going overboard with high-refined sugar chocolate, you could try satisfying this craving with some dark chocolate squares.

If you substitute the sugar from chocolate for sources of nutrients, you may be able to stave off the cravings for sweets. Substitute a healthier source of carbohydrates for chocolate sugars to avoid cravings. When you give in to those cravings, be sure not to overeat because peanut butter and chocolate can contain high amounts of sugar, which is unhealthy if consumed in high doses.

Crying for chocolate is also quite common among women when pregnant, as chocolate’s high sugar content may release dopamine, decrease stress, and serve as mood enhancers. Another reason you may be craving chocolate is that it may help stimulate the release of dopamine, the feel-good chemical in the brain. When we are low on certain amino acids and neurotransmitters (feel-good hormones), we can also feel cravings for chocolate.

As mentioned earlier, we are often tempted by sweet foods when hungry, so it is possible we may crave chocolate during times of stress–one study found women suffering from stress were more susceptible to sweet, chocolate-based cravings than those without anxiety.

Craving Chocolate During Your Period

As I explained above, one of the reasons you might crave chocolate during this time could be because you are low on magnesium. Whether or not there is truth in the idea that lower magnesium levels may cause a craving for chocolate, the fact is that the majority of Americans are not eating enough of this vital micronutrient. Since cacao is the food with the highest magnesium content per gram, it is not surprising that chocolate is the first thing we turn to when experiencing this deficiency.

Chocolate cravings can indicate that you lack one or more vitamins A. The nutritional profile of your meals may provide a strong indication as to why you are craving chocolate and other sweet foods after eating. Chocolate cravings are, in many cases, natural and maybe a way that your body tells you it is hungry or wants a sugary treat. Perhaps desires are due to being used to eating chocolate as comfort food or because you are missing out on the vitamins and minerals that chocolate provides.

While chocolate is not alone in inducing such feelings, associations may help to explain why you may feel a craving for it. Just as people crave soup when they are ill, one of the reasons why I crave chocolate is that I associate chocolate with comfort food: I eat it for mood enhancement, when I am feeling low, or when I need a spike in my blood sugar in the middle of the day. If you regularly consume chocolate and other food, such as cake or ice cream, you might begin craving chocolate when you see or smell the other food.

Craving Chocolate Is Perfectly Normal

A chocolate craving is not necessarily bad, as there are different varieties of chocolate, both milk and dark, which have lower sugar content and higher amounts of health-promoting antioxidants. Some pregnant women crave only specific types of chocolate, whether white, dark, or milk chocolate.

If you are not into chocolate, the best thing to do is satisfy your cravings or get different food. A chocolate bar can be the perfect solution and way to combat those cravings we sometimes have throughout the day; most times, it is just the proper sugar fix to satiate your sweet tooth.

The downside is that foods that contain lots of refined sugars, like chocolate, are high on the glycemic index. While eating quick carbs may feel great for a brief moment, most processed chocolate, which is loaded with sugar, ranks highly on the glycemic index, meaning that you are experiencing a quick, temporary sugar rush.

Chocolate cravings may be related to calcium deficiencies or a need for additional calcium in pregnancy. On the physical level, we might be craving chocolate because we are not getting enough of the essential fats in our diet, like avocados, nuts, hemp seeds, ground flaxseed, chia seeds, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, olives, coconut, and therefore, we are craving a naturally fat-rich food like chocolate.

Chocolate is also rich in magnesium, and those with a magnesium deficiency (which is the case for many women) may crave chocolate to get the same benefits magnesium can give us: feelings of calmness, relaxation, better sleep, fewer muscle aches, and PMS relief (ever wondered why you crave chocolate around PMS?).

Some scientists initially thought chocolate had some compounds that activated the dopamine system directly (like drugs such as cocaine or cigarettes). Still, research has shown that simply eating chocolate chemicals is not enough to curb cravings – you also need to have the experience of eating chocolate.