---
title: Do women crave salty and fatty foods more during certain phases of their menstrual cycle?
description: No. Women's preferences for salty and fatty foods did not change across their menstrual cycle. What mattered instead was whether women restricted their eating
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/preferences-for-foods-with-varying-levels-of-salt-and-fat-differ-as-a-function-1995/
---

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- Do women crave salty and fatty foods more during certain phases of their menstrual cycle?

Survey study, 1995

# Do women crave salty and fatty foods more during certain phases of their menstrual cycle?

No. Women's preferences for salty and fatty foods did not change across their menstrual cycle. What mattered instead was whether women restricted their eating and how much they exercised.

 Early or limited evidence

34 normal-weight, college-aged women

## What they did

34 college-aged women rated their preferences for popcorn with different amounts of salt and butter over 4 consecutive weeks. Researchers measured their mood each week and assessed their eating behaviors and exercise habits.

## What they found

Women's food preference ratings did not change across their menstrual cycle, and their mood did not vary by cycle phase. However, women who restricted their eating more rated the popcorn samples higher and perceived them as more salty. Women who exercised more than 3 hours per week also rated the samples higher than those who exercised less.

## What it means for you

The common belief that women crave salty and fatty foods before their period may not be a real biological change. Instead, food preferences may relate to how women think about food and their exercise habits. The main limitations are that only college-aged women were studied, the sample was small, and the study only tested salty and fatty popcorn, not other commonly craved foods like chocolate.

34

Women studied

4

Consecutive weeks of tracking

3

Hours per week exercise threshold

## About the study

Original title Preferences for foods with varying levels of salt and fat differ as a function of dietary restraint and exercise but not menstrual cycle Authors Kanarek RB, Ryu M, Przypek J Journal Physiology & behavior Year 1995 Study design Survey study What was tested None (taste preference testing) Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/0031-9384(94)00341-2](https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9384(94)00341-2)

## Topics

[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Appetite and food cravings](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-food-cravings/)[Exercise and yoga](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-exercise/)[Diet and nutrition](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diet/)

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