--- title: Why do I crave meat before my period? Hormones explained description: Craving meat before your period is common and usually comes from hormone shifts affecting taste, iron needs and mood, not a lack of willpower. url: https://niyora.com/why/do-i-crave-red-meat-before-my-period/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Questions](https://niyora.com/questions/) - Why do I crave meat before my period? Cravings # Why do I crave meat before my period? Craving red meat or steak before your period is common, tied to the luteal phase. Progesterone's byproduct allopregnanolone rises then, shifting appetite and reward signals. It usually eases once your period starts; if it doesn't, or comes with a week of mood symptoms, that's worth tracking. Updated 13 October 2026 Niyora editorial Moderate evidence Luteal phase Days 15 to 28 Where this sits in your cycle - Period - Building - Ovulation - Luteal - PMS window ## At a glance - Meat cravings often start in the luteal phase, the one to two weeks before your period, not out of nowhere. - Progesterone converts into allopregnanolone during this phase, a brain chemical linked to shifts in appetite and mood (Neuropsychopharmacology, 2016). - A small, satisfying portion of red meat or another iron-rich food is a reasonable answer to the craving, not a failure of willpower. - Food cravings are a recognized PMS and PMDD symptom, but they don't respond to SSRIs the way mood symptoms do (Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2008). - Logging what you crave and when, for two full cycles, shows whether the pattern is really tied to your cycle. ## Strength of evidence Moderate evidence - None - Limited - Mixed - Moderate - Strong Research on luteal phase hormones, allopregnanolone and craving-related symptoms explains why meat cravings cluster before your period. No study has tested red meat cravings directly, so the mechanism is inferred from related PMS and PMDD research. ## Why do I crave meat before my period? Craving steak, burgers or anything iron-rich in the days before your period is common. It usually traces back to the luteal phase, the one to two weeks before bleeding starts, when progesterone rises and then falls. Progesterone breaks down into a brain chemical called allopregnanolone, and levels of it climb through the luteal phase for most women (Neuropsychopharmacology, 2016). That shift can change what your brain flags as rewarding, including salty, fatty or protein-heavy food. Progesterone raises your metabolic rate slightly in the luteal phase, so your body is running a bit hotter and hungrier. A pull toward red meat may reflect that shift, not a lack of willpower. If the craving eases within a few days of your period starting, hormones are part of the story. For more on this pattern, see [cravings before your period](https://niyora.com/symptoms/cravings-before-period/) and [why am I so hungry before my period](https://niyora.com/why/am-i-so-hungry-before-my-period/). ## What is happening with your hormones? Estrogen and progesterone both rise after ovulation, then drop sharply in the final days before your period. That drop, not just the hormones themselves, seems to be what some brains react to more strongly than others. Allopregnanolone, the chemical progesterone converts into, acts on some of the same brain receptors as alcohol and anti-anxiety medications. When its levels rise and then fall quickly before your period, it can unsettle mood and anxiety (Neuropsychopharmacology, 2016); whether it also shifts sleep and appetite the same way hasn't been directly tested. Cortisol, the main stress hormone, tends to run lower in the luteal phase than in the follicular phase that begins with your period and runs to ovulation, based on a meta-analysis of 778 women (Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2020). Lower cortisol alongside shifting allopregnanolone may loosen the usual brakes on appetite, though the exact link to meat cravings specifically hasn't been studied directly. Your body runs on a different hormonal backdrop for about a week each month, and that backdrop shapes appetite along with mood and sleep. For the fuller picture, see [the luteal phase: what's happening in your body and mood](https://niyora.com/luteal-phase/). ## Is it normal, or a sign of PMDD? Wanting meat, salt or carbs before your period is listed as a common PMS symptom, and most people who notice this pattern have ordinary PMS, not PMDD. PMDD is a diagnosis that needs at least five symptoms in the week before your period, including one mood symptom such as irritability, anxiety, low mood or a sharp sensitivity to rejection. Food cravings can be one of the five, but they're rarely what drives the diagnosis on their own. In a trial of escitalopram for PMDD, the drug reduced core mood symptoms by about 90% but had little effect on food cravings compared with placebo (Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2008). Cravings seem to run on a somewhat different pathway than the irritability and low mood PMDD is built around. | | PMS | PMDD | | --- | --- | --- | | Meat or carb cravings | Common, eases once bleeding starts | Also common, but one symptom among several | | Mood symptoms | May or may not be present | Required: irritability, anxiety, low mood or rejection sensitivity | | Confirmed by | Noticing a repeating pattern | Daily ratings across at least two cycles | If the craving tips into eating past comfort and feeling out of control afterward, that's a different moment worth reading about: [the urge to binge before your period](https://niyora.com/moments/urge-to-binge/). ## What helps in the moment? A craving this specific usually responds better to a plan than to willpower. A few things that help: - Eat a satisfying, iron-rich portion rather than skipping it. A few ounces of steak, a burger, or lentils with lemon can settle the pull faster than a salad will. - Pair protein with a carbohydrate. Red meat with rice or potatoes keeps blood sugar steadier than meat alone, which can blunt the next craving. - Keep meals regular through the day. Skipping meals in the luteal phase tends to make cravings sharper, not easier to ignore. - Add calcium-rich food. In one placebo-controlled trial, calcium supplementation eased a range of premenstrual symptoms over three cycles (Evidence-Based Nursing, 1999). These work with the craving instead of against it, giving your body what it's asking for in a form that won't leave you feeling worse an hour later. For a fuller plan built around this phase, see [what to eat during the luteal phase](https://niyora.com/cycle/luteal-phase-foods/) and [PMS diet: what actually helps](https://niyora.com/treatments/pms-diet/). ## How do you track whether it's cyclical? The only way to know if your meat cravings are truly tied to your cycle is to write them down for two full cycles. Note the date, how many days before your period it was, what you craved, how strong it felt out of 10, and your mood that day. After two cycles, a pattern usually shows itself: cravings clustering in the same five to ten days each month, often alongside other luteal phase symptoms like fatigue or breast tenderness. Niyora is a PMS and PMDD support app. Its estimated PMS window gives you a rough sense of where you are in your cycle without creating an account, so logging a craving next to that window can show you the pattern faster than a plain notes app. If you want a sense of how much these premenstrual days are affecting you before you start tracking in detail, [the quiz on how much PMS is affecting you](https://niyora.com/quiz/) is a quick starting point. ## When does this need medical attention? Most meat or food cravings before your period don't need medical attention. They're a normal part of PMS for a lot of people and ease once bleeding starts. If this takes a week of every month, with irritability, anxiety or low mood that disrupts work or relationships, or you have thoughts of hurting yourself, see a GP or gynecologist and bring two months of daily notes. From the research library ## Research on food cravings 178 studies in the library look at food cravings in PMS and PMDD. They were published from 1982 to 2026, and each one is summarised in plain English. 178 studies, 1982 to 2026 How strong the studies are Strong study design 7 Moderate study design 70 Early or limited evidence 101 - [Systematic review, 2026Does vitamin D supplementation help PMS symptoms?Vitamin D reduced overall PMS severity and particularly helped with physical symptoms and depression, but the certainty of this evidence is very low. We cannot be confident in these findings yet and more high-quality research is needed.Strong study design](https://niyora.com/research/papers/efficacy-of-vitamin-d-supplementation-to-alleviate-premenstrual-syndrome-2026/) - [Cohort study, 2021Are low antioxidant vitamins or high oxidative stress linked to premenstrual syndrome?This study found that oxidative stress markers were linked to more depression and food cravings symptoms and more severe PMS, but antioxidant vitamin levels were mostly not associated with PMS symptoms.Strong study design](https://niyora.com/research/papers/serum-antioxidant-vitamin-concentrations-and-oxidative-stress-markers-associated-2021/) - [Survey study, 2016Is PMS or PMDD linked to eating disorders like bulimia and binge eating?Yes. Women with PMDD had 7 times higher odds of bulimia nervosa and women with PMS had 2.5 times higher odds of bulimia, but neither was strongly linked to binge-eating disorder.Strong study design](https://niyora.com/research/papers/association-of-premenstrual-syndrome-and-premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder-with-2016/) - [Randomised trial, 2011Does a birth control pill reduce negative emotions, food cravings, and water retention in women with PMDD?Yes, the pill significantly reduced all three symptom clusters compared to placebo in all three treatment cycles. The greatest improvements happened in the first cycle.Strong study design](https://niyora.com/research/papers/premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder-symptom-cluster-improvement-by-cycle-with-the-2011/) - [Review, 2001What causes PMS and PMDD, and how are they treated?PMS is caused by abnormal responses to normal hormone changes during the menstrual cycle. Treatment includes lifestyle changes like diet and exercise, and medications. SSRIs are the first-line treatment for PMDD, and calcium supplements may help.Strong study design](https://niyora.com/research/papers/evaluation-and-management-of-premenstrual-syndrome-and-premenstrual-dysphoric-2001/) - [Review, 1997Does appetite and food cravings change during the menstrual cycle, especially in women with PMS?Yes. Energy intake is higher in the second half of the cycle (luteal phase) compared to around ovulation. Many women with PMS report carbohydrate cravings before menstruation, possibly linked to changes in serotonin levels.Strong study design](https://niyora.com/research/papers/menstrual-cycle-and-appetite-control-implications-for-weight-regulation-1997/) ### Clinical trials - [An innovative nutraceutical formulation for appetite control and premenstrual syndrome symptom managementNo longer recruiting, Italy](https://niyora.com/research/trials/an-innovative-nutraceutical-formulation-for-appetite-control-isrctn12142665/) - [The Effect of Laughter Therapy On The Food CravingStatus unknown, Turkey (Türkiye)](https://niyora.com/research/trials/the-effect-of-laughter-therapy-on-the-food-craving-nct05796869/) [See all 178 studies on appetite and food cravings](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-food-cravings/) ## Questions people ask Is craving red meat before my period a sign of low iron? + Craving red meat before your period doesn't necessarily mean you're low on iron. The craving is more often tied to shifting progesterone and allopregnanolone levels affecting appetite. If it comes with fatigue or paleness, a ferritin blood test can check whether iron is actually low. Why do I specifically want steak or burgers, not just any food? + Wanting steak or burgers before your period often comes down to craving protein, fat and salt together, a combination dense in energy and iron. Hormone shifts in the luteal phase can heighten the pull toward rich, savory food more than toward sweet or bland options. Can craving meat before my period mean I'm pregnant instead? + Craving meat before your period can look similar to early pregnancy cravings, since both involve shifting progesterone. The clearest way to tell them apart is timing: PMS cravings ease once your period starts, while pregnancy symptoms continue. A home pregnancy test after a missed period gives a clear answer. Does meat craving happen in other parts of the cycle too? + Meat cravings can show up around ovulation too, when estrogen peaks, but they're usually milder and shorter than the luteal phase version. The luteal phase pull tends to be stronger and more persistent, since progesterone and allopregnanolone stay high for days rather than hours. Will changing my diet stop meat cravings before my period? + Diet changes won't stop the hormonal shift that drives the craving, but regular meals, enough protein through the day and iron-rich food can make it milder. Calcium-rich food reduced a range of premenstrual symptoms in one trial, appetite changes included (Evidence-Based Nursing, 1999). ## Sources - 1. [Escitalopram administered in the luteal phase exerts a marked and dose-dependent effect in premenstrual dysphoric disorder](https://doi.org/10.1097/jcp.0b013e3181678a28), Journal of clinical psychopharmacology, 2008 - 2. [5α-Reductase Inhibition Prevents the Luteal Phase Increase in Plasma Allopregnanolone Levels and Mitigates Symptoms in Women with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder](https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2015.246), Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 2016 - 3. [Calcium reduced PMS symptoms during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle](https://doi.org/10.1136/ebn.2.2.43), Evidence-Based Nursing, 1999 - 4. [Higher Circulating Cortisol in the Follicular vs. Luteal Phase of the Menstrual Cycle: A Meta-Analysis](https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2020.00311), Frontiers in endocrinology, 2020 Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗ On this page - [Why do I crave meat before my period?](#why-do-i-crave-meat-before-my-period) - [What is happening with your hormones?](#what-is-happening-with-your-hormones) - [Is it normal, or a sign of PMDD?](#is-it-normal-or-a-sign-of-pmdd) - [What helps in the moment?](#what-helps-in-the-moment) - [How do you track whether it's cyclical?](#how-do-you-track-whether-it-s-cyclical) - [When does this need medical attention?](#when-does-this-need-medical-attention) - [Research](#research) - [Questions](#faq) Niyora PMS & PMDD support For the hard moment before your period. Private, no account. [Get it on iPhone](https://apps.apple.com/app/niyora-pms-emotions/id6764561688) ## Keep reading Symptom PMS cravings before your period: why they happen and what helps Question Why am I so hungry before my period? Moment The urge to binge eat before your period Treatment PMS diet: what actually helps Cycle guide The best luteal phase foods: what to eat and why Guide Take the two-minute check Condition The luteal phase: what's happening in your body and mood