Why does one crave pickles

Pregnancy cravings are a universal experience, a small and mundane part of everyday life that also binds people together. Rapidly changing hormones during pregnancy may explain cravings, though research is still sparse in this area. During the second trimester, most pregnant people adapt to these elevated hormones as morning sickness fades and cravings peak. One theory states that cravings are a natural response to your body recovering from poor appetite and morning sickness 1.

Pregnancy may also significantly change sensory perceptions, including taste and smell. Although no evidence suggests that a decreased salt sensitivity affects hormones that increase salt cravings, these cravings may make sense on a behavioral level — as salty foods may be one thing you can easily taste. For example, iron needs increase to 27 mg per day to support fetal development, compared with 18 mg in adult women. Requirements for zinc, folate, iodine, and protein also increase 4.

However, foods containing these nutrients, such as eggs, meat, and dairy, are reported as common pregnancy aversions 5. In contrast, low nutrient, high salt, and high fat foods like pickles, ice cream, chocolate, and pizza are reported as the most common cravings 6.

Another factor in pregnancy cravings may be the way that various cultures approach and perceive food. While pickles are a common pregnancy craving in North America, rice is the most frequently reported food craving for pregnant people in Japan 6 , 7.

Pickle cravings during pregnancy are poorly understood scientifically, though your culture and changes in how you taste food may play a role. Eating pickles during pregnancy may have a variety of health effects, both positive and negative. In fact, excess sodium may cause water retention and increase your risk of high blood pressure during pregnancy This vitamin helps your blood clot and keeps your bones strong 11 , The same well-known article in Frontiers in Psychology that I linked to above put forward four hypotheses for why pregnant women experience such strong pickle cravings.

It is no secret that hormones change like crazy during pregnancy, after all, these changes are what help your body grow baby and keep them alive. Aside from supporting your growing child, these hormone changes can come with some pretty drastic side effects.

According to the researchers, one of which is strong cravings. They liken this to PMS symptoms during menstrual cycles and chocolate cravings near your period.

While this seems a reasonable enough answer, research has not connected hormones directly to cravings. This theory goes two different ways: aversions to foods that could be harmful or contain toxic levels of certain nutrients, and cravings for foods that might calm pregnancy symptoms like vomiting. Researchers have even found a connection between having food cravings and experiencing nausea.

The writers found that depending on the location of women surveyed, cravings changed to represent foods typical in their locale. In addition to a difference in craved foods across the globe, the writers went on to say that in countries where there is a higher value placed on female beauty such as the U. Finally, the last hypothesis is that cravings for salty pickles might mean you are deficient in a few key nutrients, namely sodium and magnesium.

According to this theory, pickle cravings function much like a survival mechanism, ensuring your body gets the nutrients it and the baby need. Beyond pickles, salty foods are thought to be craved for a reason similar to the fourth hypothesis in the Frontiers in Psychology article- their sodium content. Sodium is an important nutrient in the body and maintaining an adequate amount of sodium in the blood is necessary for optimal organ function.

An easy way to regain balance of blood-sodium levels? Eating salty foods! Pickles are high in sodium salt is added to the brine in order to preserve them—and make them extra tasty, of course.

And sodium is an important electrolyte. These minerals help to keep your body hydrated. But that might not be the only thing going on. But what if you crave salty foods all the time? Avoid self-diagnosis and speak with your physician about any changes in appetite or tastes, Lee advises. According to Shapiro, many pregnant women crave pickles as a response to morning sickness, which can cause—you guessed it—dehydration.

And while you may have heard that increased blood volume increases a pregnant woman's need for sodium hence those midnight cravings for pickles, fries and chips , there is little evidence to support this theory. A study of over expecting women in Tanzania found that the most common cravings among them were meat, mangoes and yogurt. Meanwhile, in the United States, the most common pregnancy cravings include chocolate, fast food, pickles and ice cream.

What gives? Many are fermented so they help with digestion and gut health as well. You could also snack on a handful of popcorn or edamame. Or you know, just surrender to your craving and eat a damn pickle. Here are our picks for the best dill pickles at the grocery store. Or why not try to make your own homemade pickles?