There's a connection between the bacteria living in your digestive tract and your brain. The specifics of this are not fully understood yet. Your gut bacteria do a substantial amount of digestion for you, breaking down the food you eat into molecules that your intestines can absorb. The bacteria live in your intestine because they also consume some of the food that you eat. The research suggests that the bacteria can send signals to your brain that influence what you choose to eat.
Your cravings might not actually be 'yours', in a sense.
This is rather interesting to me, as I have gut issues where I should be limiting my consumption of red meat. Red meat, specifically beef, in excess gives me rather uncomfortable toilet visits, however completely refraining from any at all causes flare ups in my mental conditions (namely, my depression and CPTSD symptoms are somewhat more exaggerated). It's at this point where I would crave something like a burger, almost like an addiction that somehow lay dormant until that moment, and my mood is lifted for some time afterwards.
I'm not within the field of science, however I have been noting how my diet affects my gut and mind for many years now, and that's just what I've noticed. It makes sense to me for a study to prove some correlation as well between the gut and brain.
There’s a theory that says this is the case (I can’t remember the name) but if it was accurate it’s probably been thoroughly destroyed by the modern diet which is laden with foods that push reward cravings (like excessive carbohydrates)
Rarely. Common food cravings follow a druglike addiction pathway more than a nutrient deficiency one. Beyond the known drugs in your food like the sugar, caffeine, and alcohol, you'll crave weird features like the texture, blandness, or familiarity. Pay no mind to the unrecognizable chemical ingredient cocktail known only to increase profits.
Memories are weird. Combinations of random circumstances might cause you to remember the last time when you are the item, and how it made you feel afterwards
Makes sense from an evolutionary standpoint; "I'm thirsty. I don't crave water. I get dehydrated and die" vs "I'm thirsty. I get water. I don't die and have babies with Bob" - the person who had a craving passes on their genes
Hypoglycemia will trigger cravings for any food, no specific craving, just a feeling of "I need to eat or drink as much as I can and don't stop." It actually took me so long to limit myself to only eaying the necessary carbs to get blood sugar above 80 again instead of constantly bullwhipping my blood sugar from 50 to 300 and then correcting it below 180.
Hyperglycemia will trigger the most insane dehydration and craving to drink everything I can get my hands on and never stop.
I've noticed a distinct difference in how good/strong salt tastes at times. I suspect it's electrolyte embalance and/or dehydration usually. But I'm just making guesses.
Yeah, I reckon that's definitely a thing. Have you heard of how some pregnant women want to eat dirt? Because creating a child reqires many trace minerals that are commonly found in dirt.
I do recon this sense can be corrupted by modern over proceeded shit.