Why women crave chocolate on their periods, according to a dietician

Any woman who’s had a period knows that when your time of the month comes around, the cravings usually come out to play.

When you’re suffering with stomach cramps and breakouts, all you want is to indulge in a tasty sugary treat to distract you from your misery. Enter: chocolate.

While many of us keep an emergency stash of chocolate ready for when disaster strikes, how many of us are actually aware of why we crave chocolate on our periods?

Melanie McGrice, an advanced accredited practising dietician from Australia, has published a blog post explaining the various avenues researchers have explored to try to figure out this chocolatey conundrum.

Many people believe that it all bottles down to the hormonal imbalances that occur during the menstrual cycle.

As your progesterone and oestrogen levels drop at the beginning of your period, this causes you to become more hungry.

Your serotonin levels also drop, while at the same time your cortisol levels are steadily on the rise.