Caffeine Foods Is A Natural Part Of Life - 1546 Words

Craving foods is a natural part of life, but why we crave is a question that is open for discussion. There are a few thoughts in the scientific circles explaining why people have cravings. Researchers believe we crave foods that are high in a specific nutrient that our body is lacking. To support this thought, if you crave a banana, some scientists say this means your body is lacking potassium. If you are craving a big bowl of potato chips, scientists would say that your body is lacking salt. All of this is wrong, it’s just a myth. After much research on the articles available in this idea, the real reason people crave is more psychological. It’s a mind game and sometimes it could even be as obscure as a childhood memory that triggers a†¦show more content†¦This definition alone has the power to debunk this myth. But is this definition alone enough for most individuals? The one side that supports the myth says that our body craves foods that contain certain nut rients that our body is lacking. The only way this argument could be proven is with a study that shows a person that lacks a nutrient and craves a food with that nutrient. While my research paper is to prove that cravings are not a result of a nutritional deficiency. I have to mention that there is one condition that does prove cravings are a result of a nutritional deficiency. A while back I watched a video talking about how some kids eat cookies or patties made of mud. This rare disorder, called Pica, makes a person who’s nutritional levels are low in iron and zinc crave and eat dirt or clay (Kids Health). This disorder is the only example that supports the myth, but it has to be completely ruled out due to the fact that this disorder is found only in young individuals. Nutrient intake is the main focus of this myth. To be able to confidently debunk this myth there have to be studies that show that nutrient intake doesn t correspond with cravings. Researchers from one study found that, cravers normally meet or exceed the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for all nutrients except vitamin E, folate and magnesium (Christensen 32). So, if this myth is true the people in this study should craved foods containing vitamin E, folate, and magnesium, which they didn’t. In