Do you know why you crave chocolate, rice or meat? 

Chetana Belagere

Jul 15, 2025

Health

Health

Ever felt an uncontrollable urge to bite into a bar of chocolate at 11 pm? Or an intense craving for rice, even right after a meal?

Health

These food cravings may not just be about comfort or habit—they could be your body’s subtle SOS, signalling a nutritional deficiency hiding in plain sight.

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Magnesium deficiency: Craving for chocolate. Increasing magnesium rich foods in the diet such as pumpkin seeds can help curb this craving, says Shashikant.

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Sodium or potassium: People with adrenal fatigue or low sodium or potassium have a strong desire for salty foods, he explains.

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Iron or zinc deficiency in children: It is common to see young children licking walls or eating mud behaviours and that may suggest iron or zinc deficiency.

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B-vitamins: Persistent hunger for sweets or refined carbohydrates may signal blood sugar imbalances or deficiencies in chromium and B=vitamins, particularly B1 (Thiamine).