If you're someone who feels the sudden and very real need to eat chocolate the week before and during your period, you're not alone. It's a comfort food that many of us turn to in times of need – after all, it never lets us down (except when you get that one rogue Malteser that has no actual malt inside it).
But is there a reason why some us can feel such a new urge to reach for the Cadbury around our bleed, even if for the rest of the month it's not our snack of choice?
Wonder no more, reader, since we've asked the experts to find out whether there's really any science behind our sugary period cravings.
Why do so many people crave chocolate around their period?
The truth is, there's not much evidence to suggest that it's anything other than comfort eating and learned behaviour.
"At the beginning of the period, progesterone and oestrogen levels drop, which can increase hunger levels," says Reema Patel, London Dietitian for Dietitian Fit and Co. "There is also an increase in the stress hormone cortisol, and a reduction in our feel-good hormone, serotonin. There is a theory that to help boost serotonin hormone levels, we eat food that makes us feel good. However, there is no strong evidence for this link between hormones and cravings yet. Women still report chocolate cravings, despite not being on their period or after menopause."
She adds: "Craving chocolate around our time of the month can be down to learned behaviour. We anticipate wanting something sweet around this time, as it is what we are used to. When we eat chocolate, we enjoy the flavour and texture of it in our mouth – the combination of fats and sugars make it taste good and pleasurable. This is a positive reward mechanism, that leads to a release of dopamine (a reward hormone). However there is no research indicating that hormones directly can cause chocolate cravings."
Could chocolate have real benefits around the time of our period?
Laura Southern, a nutritional therapist at London Gynaecology, says that good-quality chocolate could have some mood-boosting qualities.
"Chocolate is an antioxidant – so it can help reduce inflammation and increase brain function, both things our body might crave before our period. It’s also high in magnesium which is calming, can help induce sleep, and is sometimes referred to as ‘natures tranquilliser’. So, eating chocolate which is high in magnesium might make us feel more calm, relaxed and also help with muscle contractions, so it could help ease period cramps," she says.
