Menstrual Munchies

Are you thinking about ice cream, endless breadsticks from Olive Garden, or that one peanut butter Twix bar you used to eat as a freshman in high school? All these random cravings that only seem to reoccur once a month, but why?

According to nutritionists and researchers, the simple answer is that your body is out of whack due to fluctuations of hormones that are craving precise nutrients. However, there isn’t one correct answer to what certain hormone could be causing the need to satisfy the hunger.

1. Endogenous opioid peptides, amino acids that emulate the properties of endorphins, are a great candidate to be the culprit to all the cravings. During times of elevated fluctuations of hormones, like menstruation and gestation, the increased levels of activation of EOPs are correlated to that of increased mimic reaction of endorphins. The EOPs binding to endorphin receptors which have inappropriate dopamine release which can affect mood and hunger.

2. An unbalance in blood sugar levels and deficiencies in chromium and magnesium can lead to this desires for food, specifically sugary filled foods. Chromium and magnesium is used by cells in the uptake of sugar into the cells for energy, with low levels of the nutrients one begins to build cravings. The cravings are attempting to balance out the what sugar levels the body currently has and what it needs to continue to properly function through menstruation.

3. A correlation between higher estrogen levels and higher levels of leptin, the hormone that primarily regulates appetite, have been observed. Estrogen has been observed to affecting hunger through the estrogen receptor in the hypothalamus. When the levels of estrogen are high, the concentration of leptin expression increases.

All in all, menstruation is a tricky subject. It comes with a lot of responsibilities and can be a very stressful time month to month. So if you are going through menstruation and are hit with a bit of munchies, go ahead and try to ride the roller coaster as best as you can through any salty, tangy snacks you can get your hands on (in moderation, of course).

By: Michelle Hernandez

[1] Fungfuang W, Terada M, Komatsu N, Moon C, Saito TR. Effects of estrogen on food intake, serum leptin levels and leptin mRNA expression in adipose tissue of female rats. Lab Anim Res. 2013;29(3):168–73.

[2] Anupama Koneru, Sreemantula Satyanarayana and Shaik Rizwan. Endogenous Opioids: Their Physiological Role and Receptors. Global Journal of Pharmacology, 3 (3): 149–153, 2009.

[3] Solveig M Stock, Evelina M Sande, Katarina A Bremme. Leptin levels vary significantly during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and in vitro fertilization treatment: possible relation to estradiol, Fertility and Sterility, Volume 72, Issue 4, 1999. Pages 657–662.

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