I’m more referring to when a random person experiences a random craving for something they’ve had before.

Does that generally point to something you’ve had before that unknowingly satisfied a deficiency and which your body tacitly took note of?

I notice it sometimes, like

Beef = i “need” a burger (I’m a skinny dude, beef is not a common staple for me)

Fruit: i need juice or actual berries in yogurt for a smoothie or parfait

  • NaibofTabr@infosec.pub
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    3 months ago

    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 - so that you eat things that they also eat.

    Your cravings might not actually be ‘yours’, in a sense.

    • JadenSmith@sh.itjust.works
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      3 months ago

      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.

  • quixotic120@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    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)

      • Otter@lemmy.ca
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        3 months ago

        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

  • Bear@lemmynsfw.com
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    3 months ago

    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.

  • OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml
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    3 months ago

    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

  • Otter@lemmy.ca
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    3 months ago

    An indirect form of this should work

    • When you need more X, you might feel certain symptoms. Eating more of X will make you feel better
    • Over time you associate the two things together, even if you don’t understand the science of why
  • 11111one11111@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Type 1 diabetic here.

    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.

  • treadful@lemmy.zip
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    3 months ago

    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.