About 90% of pregnant people experience at least one type of food craving throughout their pregnancy, typically during their first trimester. While there is little evidence and research into why this is a common symptom of pregnancy, experts are trying to learn more about the specifics of this phenomenon.
According to the National Library of Medicine, around 90% of pregnant people experience at least one food craving throughout their pregnancy, typically during the first trimester. While this phenomenon is widely experienced, there’s little scientific research into why this is such a common occurrence.
Reports show that cultural differences potentially impact the specific pregnancy cravings experienced around the world. For example, pregnant women in Nigeria have been shown to crave more fruits and vegetables while pregnant women in the US crave chocolate more.
Melanie McGrice, a prenatal dietitian, told the Guardian that one of the most common pregnancy cravings around the world is salty foods. She explained that this could actually be a sign that they aren’t drinking enough water, as their food and water levels in general need to increase as their overall blood volume increases by 45% throughout the entire pregnancy.
“During pregnancy, our fluid requirements increase by about 150%, yet most women’s fluid intake does not increase. The ideal solution is to do the opposite [of the craving for salty foods] and actually just drink more water.”
Common cravings for pregnancy also include sweeter foods like ice-cream, and foods that are high in carbohydrates. Researchers have found that this is likely a reaction to fluctuating blood sugar levels that occur throughout pregnancies.
Lora Attia, a fertility and prenatal dietitian, stated that cravings like milkshakes and ice cream could signify a need for calcium. Pregnancy increases a woman’s ability to absorb calcium, so while they may not need to increase their calcium intake, they do need to ensure they get a healthy intake. Attia says that 1,300 mg of Calcium a day for people 18 or under and 1,000 mg a day for individuals 19-50 is a healthy amount.
“We know lots of women will crave ice-cream, for example, and they might be thinking, ‘Oh, my body needs calcium’, but that’s not a great source of calcium. Half a cup of ice-cream has about 78 mg of calcium, while the same volume of tofu has 160mg of calcium. But I haven’t had that in practice, where they’re reaching for tofu for calcium,” Attia says.
McGrice said that drinking regular milk is the best option to gain the most benefits from calcium without all of the sugar.
Red meat is another common craving during pregnancy, which McGrice states could be an indication of low iron levels.
“We’ll often have those conversations. Do they want to just try and boost their iron intake naturally and we can work on it that way, or do they want to have some red meat during pregnancy?”
Iron deficiency can also lead to odd cravings that are otherwise hard to explain, such as chalk, ice, or even dirt. This particular set of cravings is referred to as pica, and is defined as craving substances that have no actual nutritional value. Pica impacts about 4% of pregnant women.
While some research has shown that Pica could be related to iron deficiency, it doesn’t explain why certain people have cravings for things that aren’t high in iron. Additionally, pica cravings are not exclusively associated with pregnancy.
Allison Cummins, a midwifery researcher at the University of Newcastle, said “pregnancy cravings are definitely more intense than the usual hunger for particular foods we experience day to day. [I experienced] an almost overwhelming craving for ice during [my] own pregnancy.”
“I was working in midwifery practice, and the woman would be in labor and she’d have a glass full of ice there, and as soon as she shut her eyes to have a contraction, I would eat her ice,” she said.
While it’s OK to succumb to cravings in moderation, Cummins also warned against the “eating for two mentality. Women are very capable of growing a baby, so you don’t need to eat for two,” she says.
“Lots of women think when they become pregnant they’re going to eat so healthily and eat well, they have these big plans,” Attia says.
“But you don’t know the symptoms and the side effects you’re going to go through in pregnancy, and that can make it difficult to eat well.”
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.
