Why women crave chocolate more than men

It may seem like a social stereotype that women crave eating chocolate more than men, but there are some scientific studies that go some way to proving this assertion to be correct.  

Craving Chocolate?

There are several reasons people crave chocolate. Statistically, women tend to desire chocolate much more than men. Men on the other hand mostly (although not exclusively) tend to crave foods rich in B12 and protein such as red meat and beer with its b-vitamins and yeasts.

Cravings, generally speaking, are our bodies telling us that they are deficient in certain compounds and when it comes to craving chocolate it is usually magnesium and antioxidants. Then there is, of course, all the neurotransmitters and dopamine contain in chocolate that make us all, male or female, feel good and happy.  In women, according to numerous studies, cravings for chocolate seem to correspond to hormone changes (menstruation, pregnancy etc). Women also suffer a serotonin decrease in the week before menstruation that leads to a fall in other hormones in their systems this in turn leads to a craving for chocolate.

There is also a great deal of cultural conditioning involved in our collective chocolate craving. When chocolate manufacturers target women they use adverts suggesting that chocolate is a way to ‘get away from it all’. This assumption was reinforced when similar women in the United States and those in Japan were interviewed regarding their cravings during the early stages of pregnancy, in America women wanted chocolate while those in Japan craved rice and sushi.