---
title: Does hormonal change cause chocolate cravings around the period?
description: Chocolate cravings decreased by only 13.4% after menopause, much less than the 38% decrease that would be expected if hormones were the main cause, suggesting
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/perimenstrual-chocolate-craving-what-happens-after-menopause-2009/
---

- [Niyora](https://niyora.com/)
- [Research](https://niyora.com/research/)
- [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/)
- Does hormonal change cause chocolate cravings around the period?

Survey study, 2009

# Does hormonal change cause chocolate cravings around the period?

Chocolate cravings decreased by only 13.4% after menopause, much less than the 38% decrease that would be expected if hormones were the main cause, suggesting stress or other personal factors are the main drivers.

 Early or limited evidence

Pre- and post-menopausal women who attended the same university

## What they did

Researchers surveyed women who attended the same university at different ages, some before menopause and some after, about when they crave chocolate.

## What they found

About half of American women crave chocolate overall, and about half of those who crave chocolate report craving it specifically around menstruation. After menopause, chocolate cravings decreased by 13.4%. If the craving were directly caused by female reproductive hormones, researchers would have expected a 38% decrease, since 38% of pre-menopausal women reported craving chocolate only during the perimenstrual period.

## What it means for you

The small decrease in chocolate cravings after menopause suggests that female reproductive hormones are not the main cause of cravings around menstruation. Instead, stress, habit, or other personal factors are likely more important. The study was limited to university alumnae from one university, so may not apply to other groups.

13.4%

decrease in chocolate cravings after menopause

38%

expected decrease if hormones were the cause

## About the study

Original title Perimenstrual chocolate craving. What happens after menopause? Authors Hormes JM, Rozin P Journal Appetite Year 2009 Study design Survey study Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2009.07.003](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2009.07.003)

## Topics

[Appetite and food cravings](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-food-cravings/)[Perimenopause and menopause](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-perimenopause/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

## Related studies

Cohort study, 2016

Do women eat differently at different times in their menstrual cycle?

Cohort study, 2015

Does drinking alcohol affect reproductive hormones or menstrual cycle regularity?

Randomised trial, 2009

Does a combination of St. John's Wort and Chaste Tree help PMS-like symptoms in perimenopausal women?

Ask AI about this page

Copy prompt

ChatGPT

↗

Claude

↗

Perplexity

↗

Google AI Mode

↗

Grok

↗