Do you know? - Your cravings for spicy foods could be due to these reasons!!
Posted on: 01/Nov/2021 9:36:03 AM
Many of us have an uncontrollable desire to eat specific foods like salty or sweet spicy!!
Truth is that food cravings are regarded as a negative experience as it might make a person to withstand hunger for their desired food. This food craving is totally different from the normal hunger where people would eat all types of foods. Majority of us have cravings for foods like chocolates, ice creams etc is well known to us. It is revealed that the sudden cravings for spicy foods could be due to hormonal changes, chronic stress, pregnancy, eating disorders etc. The primary active compound present in all types of chilli peppers and in spicy foods is capsaicin. Point to be noted here is that capsaicin is believed to cause food cravings in us.
Various amazing reasons for cravings for spicy foods are
Sensation seeking and sensitivity to reward:
It has been brought to light by research studies that frequent intake of chilly is linked to certain personality variables such as sensation seeking or SS and sensitivity to reward or STR. Regardless of social and physical risks involved, sensation seeking refers to the need for new complex and varied sensations and experiences. Deriving pleasure or rewards from foods or drugs etc is sensitivity to reward personality. It is true that the burning sensation of capsaicin would induce strong liking towards spicy foods.
For getting adjusted to cold environment:
There would be a positive effect on our body temperature when we consume capsaicin present in the chilli peppers. The warm sensors of the body regulatory system would get affected. In the cold environment, intake of capsaicin could trigger a warm feeling in the body and by this we would be able to adjust to the cold environments.
Dieting:
This is also one important reason for showing huge interest in the spicy foods intake. It must be noted that diet induced cravings could be due to the deficiency of nutrients or suppression of desire to eat certain foods. The deficiency of capsaicin in the body would make a person crave for spicy foods. Suppression of desire to eat spicy foods could due to restrictions also make a person crave for spicy foods.
Increase in the brain activity:
When brain activity increases then cravings for spicy foods would also increase. It has been confirmed by research that persons who care for spicy foods would have increased activation of certain areas in the brain than the non-carvers. These areas of the brain could be left putamen, bilateral cuneus, right precentral gyrus etc and these brain areas are involved in motor control, cognition, learning etc.
Eating disorders:
Certain eating disorders like e emotional eating, binge eating and overeating etc have been related to food cravings. It has been mentioned by a study about a link between experiential avoidance with eating disorders and food cravings. Truth is that when a person avoids or suppresses his or her emotions then to reduce their unpleasant feelings they would eat more. This would lead to eating disorders in them.
Having high body mass index:
Women with high BMI or body mass index would crave for foods like chocolates, ice creams, fatty foods etc. This has been shown by a study conducted on 108 healthy women between ages 20 to 37. These women had spicy food cravings also apart from cravings for sweet based foods.
