Why Women Crave Chocolate More Than Men - UK Vending Blog (2024)

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Why do women crave chocolate more than men? ›

Female reproductive hormones, Estrogen and Progesterone may be responsible for more women craving chocolate than men. These hormones are vital in women's menstrual cycles leading to physical and more commonly psychological changes during their periods.

Statistically, women tend to desire chocolate much more than men. Men on the other hand mostly (although not exclusively) tend to crave foods rich in B12 and protein such as red meat and beer with its b-vitamins and yeasts.

Progesterone begins to rise after ovulation. At this point, we shift into the luteal phase, and appetite naturally increases. According to studies, cravings for chocolate often occur at this time also. This could be because your body needs a boost of the nutrient, magnesium.

Women prefer to eat chocolate more than men. While preference among women stands at 91%, for men it is 87%.

First, men and women differ in their average levels of these sex hormones. Second, women experience monthly hormonal variation across the menstrual cycle while men do not, and this may contribute importantly to gender differences in food craving and consumption, as will be detailed below (see Figure 2).

Women naturally have lower levels of serotonin in their brains than men do, which could account for their desire to eat sweet sugary foods since eating carbs leads to feeling happier. This theory would also explain why so many “comfort foods” consist of starches, breads, candies, and sweets.

Women seem to have very strong cravings for chocolate, particularly when blood levels of progesterone are high. Chocolate also contains phenethylamine, a molecule that resembles amphetamine, as well as some other psychoactive stimulants. Chocolate also contains small amounts of the amino acid tyramine.

It helps fight PMS

“Chocolate releases calming endorphins that reduce anxiety. Plus, it's high in magnesium,” which lifts moods and reduces water retention.

Some believe chocolate is the snack of choice due to hormonal imbalances during the menstrual cycle. When estrogen, progesterone and serotonin (the happiness hormone) levels drop, and cortisol (the stress hormone) rises, the result is a sugar craving.

Hormonal changes in women

Some of the women had intense yearnings for chocolate and other sugary foods. Others would have cravings for high-carbohydrate foods, including chips and crisps. Estrogen and progesterone were both found to influence cravings when the women in the study were on their periods.

Does chocolate make women happy? ›

One explanation is to be found in the particular constituents of cacao, the main ingredient of chocolate, which are said to have a mood-enhancing effect. One of them is tryptophan. The body uses it to produce the mood-elevating substance of serotonin – also known as the happiness hormone.

Dairy Milk Chocolate

One of the most famous chocolate brands in the world, dairy milk chocolate is also a bit milky. Most of the girls like dairy milk chocolate so she won't mind if you give her a bouquet of dairy milk chocolates.

Chocolates are fountain of energy

The same element is present in chocolate too. So, when a girl eat chocolates, they get energy from the sugar and cocoa present in it and the phenylethylamine enhances their mood. The combination of chocolate and phenylethylamine relax their nerves and give them immense pleasure.

Sugar cravings are often caused by imbalances in blood glucose levels. Low blood sugar levels might cause you to crave something sweet in order to bring up these levels. Other factors that can play a role include psychological stress, medications, hormone imbalances, and health conditions.

Scientists believe fluctuating hormones and serotonin levels during a woman's cycle are to blame. Hormone changes can cause a drop in blood sugar levels, which leads to sugar cravings. Serotonin levels — the “feel good” chemical in your brain — also tend to be lower during this time.

Fluctuations in hormones affect your neurotransmitters, typically at the time that your egg is released during ovulation. Your body craves carbs, fat and sweets, so you reach for these high-calorie treats. This is an attempt to boost the lower levels of serotonin currently being produced by your body.

The likelihood of experiencing a strong sugar craving may depend on your gender. Research shows women are more likely than men to have a strong hankering for something sweet. According to a study published in Appetite, 97% of women and 68% of men who took part in a survey admitted to food cravings.

"Excess sugar can affect women's health in a multitude of ways," said Dr. Nick Bodenheimer, OB-GYN at Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center in Bolivia. Some of those ways are well-known — among them weight gain and an elevated risk for diabetes, liver disease, high blood pressure, stroke and heart problems.

In the short-term, eating too much sugar may contribute to acne, weight gain, and tiredness. In the long-term, too much sugar increases the risk of chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Even for something as basic as food, in nearly two thirds of the world's countries, women are more likely than men to suffer from hunger. Each cause of unequal treatment reinforces the others, trapping women in a cycle of disadvantage, poverty and hunger.