Cohort study, 1987
Do women crave different foods at different points in their menstrual cycle?
Women craved more chocolate during menstrual flow than at other times. Cravings for sugary, starchy, or lower-carb foods did not vary significantly by cycle phase.
What they did
Longitudinal study of 83 college women over 6 weeks. Women completed weekly questionnaires about cravings for 32 different foods. The menstrual cycle was divided into four phases: menstrual flow, first half of cycle, second half of cycle, and 1 week premenstrual.
What they found
Women showed greater preference for chocolate foods during menstrual flow compared to other cycle phases. Cravings for high-sugar foods, high-starch foods, or lower-carbohydrate foods were not significantly affected by menstrual cycle phase.
What it means for you
If you crave chocolate during your period, that is a normal pattern. However, the wider belief that women crave more sugar and carbohydrates at certain cycle phases is not supported. The study included only college-age women, so results may not apply to all ages.
83
College women studied
6
Weeks of tracking
32
Different foods tracked
About the study
- Original title
- Menstrual cycle and food cravings in young college women
- Authors
- Tomelleri R, Grunewald KK
- Journal
- Journal of the American Dietetic Association
- Year
- 1987
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 83
- What was tested
- None, observational study
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/s0002-8223(21)03113-8
Topics
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