Is a food craving always driven by a nutritional need?

💡 The Answer

• A food craving may or may not be related to specific hunger.
• Specific hunger is the drive to consume particular nutrients, well-studied in animals.
• However, many human cravings have no obvious nutritional basis.
• For example, chocolate cravings are common yet often unrelated to a nutrient deficiency.
• This shows emotional or psychological factors can also trigger cravings.