Surely each of us in certain periods notices a craving for one type of product,
for which perhaps never before had a special love.
And if you want to eat chocolate or drink a cup of coffee,
then this is not surprising,
but if suddenly you have an irresistible desire to eat a spoon or two of clay or gnaw on ice,
then this clearly indicates that the body is missing something
and it is trying to fill the deficit with such strange products.
In continuation of the article you will find informative information
about the reasons why you are drawn to certain types of products. [ more]
Clay cleanses the body of toxins
If you suddenly want to eat a handful of earth or clay, then your body needs to get rid of toxins, or...
You're pregnant – many women preparing to have a baby are known to have some pretty eccentric gastronomic addictions.
In the 1990s, in some countries, the sale of this unusual "delicacy" was even established,
because in megacities it is not so easy to find land suitable for consumption.
Recently, experts are increasingly talking about the fact that the earth really helps
to cleanse the body of toxic substances.
Previously, it was believed that only people and macaw parrots eat earth and clay, but recently researchers have noticed that such a "kitchen" is popular among other animals, especially during the ripening of fruits, since immature fruits and berries contain a large number of toxic alkaloids.
For example, to make edible unripe potatoes containing solanine -
a bitter and poisonous glycoalcaloid, the fruits must be coated with alumina.
It contains kaolin (white clay), which neutralizes bitterness and "pulls" solanine from potatoes.
So do not rush to twist your finger at the temple,
learning that one of your friends once ate some earth -
he acted in accordance with the ancient instincts of self-preservation and health care.
Wanted beans or rice - you do not have enough protein
Some of the amino acids we need, such as lysine and methionine, the body cannot produce on its own, so they have to be obtained from food. Lysine is found in legumes, and wheat, rice and corn are rich in methionine - if now you terribly want to eat any of these products, your body clearly lacks protein.
Cereal and legume dishes are widely represented in many culinary cultures of the world, firstly, because their combination serves as an excellent substitute for meat, and secondly - because it is, hell, incredibly tasty! The taste and aroma of beans and cereals are so impeccably in harmony with each other that for a long time it was believed that if you do not use these products together, the lysine and methionine contained in them will not be absorbed by the body. Later, this opinion was recognized as erroneous, but there are no fewer beans and cereals. The popularity of the culinary duo "beans-cereals", containing the necessary amino acids, suggests that the body tells a person what kind of dishes he "should" like.
Pulls on sharp, so you need to "cool down"
You probably noticed that in countries with a hot climate they love incredibly spicy food - this is due to the fact that hot seasonings, especially chili peppers, provoke intense sweating, protecting the human body from overheating. The alkaloid capsaicin contained in acute products stimulates the receptors of the mouth and nasal cavity responsible for thermoregulation - they make a person sweat, getting rid of excess heat.
Tea with milk saves from tannins
Contrary to numerous commercials, black tea is not such a harmless drink. In it, like coffee, contains tannins - phenolic compounds that give these drinks astringent properties and bitterness, as well as contribute to the cleansing of the digestive tract. The body reacts ambiguously to the presence of tannins - for example, having drunk strong black tea in the morning, you may well feel nausea. Fortunately, there is a way to soften the bitterness of tea and coffee and protect the stomach from excessive activity of tannins - add milk to the drink.
I must say, adults of homo sapiens are not evolutionarily predisposed to the use of milk - we can drink it only due to the fact that the human body for several thousand years has adapted to dairy products, adjusting the production of enzymes necessary for the processing of lactose. Individuals of other mammal species after reaching adulthood cease to consume foods containing lactose and if, say, a tiger is drunk with milk, this will turn into digestive problems for him, while some people are also known to have lactose intolerance, which can be called a kind of "digestive rudiment". Impressive is the fact that humanity began to drink milk relatively recently, and our taste buds already "advise" that with its help you can reduce the activity of tannins.
Ice as local anesthesia
The desire to include ice in their diet is often experienced by people suffering from anemia. Of course, ice itself can not satisfy the need for iron, but for some reason it really helps - with a lack of iron in the human body with anemia, inflammatory processes begin, accompanied by pain in the oral cavity. Ice does not allow you to cope with the main cause of the disease, but it significantly reduces pain, so if you periodically want to gnaw ice cubes, there is a reason to think about including foods high in iron in your diet.
Thirst for ginger speaks of heart problems
Ginger is one of the most useful seasonings of plant origin. It helps to get rid of nausea attacks, relieves coughing and helps with headaches. Nevertheless, doctors say that even people who do not suffer from the above ailments sometimes have a strong desire to eat ginger. According to the results of some studies, ginger reduces blood clotting, which can cause heart attacks, strengthens the muscles of the heart and lowers cholesterol levels in the blood. Due to its miraculous properties, ginger can serve as a healthy alternative to the vaunted dietary supplements with three-digit price tags.
Coffee instead of painkillers
If you have eaten ginger, but the migraine does not go away, it makes sense to drink a cup of coffee - caffeine also helps with headaches and can even prevent its occurrence. Some doctors talk about the dangers of frequent consumption of coffee, while others argue that you can drink two cups of this drink daily without risk to health. Caffeine allows you to relieve physical and emotional discomfort, in addition, this natural stimulant is effective in the early stages of depressive states. According to some reports, many people with the help of coffee, no matter how strange it may sound, provide themselves with a healthy sleep - the human body gets used to a certain amount of caffeine and when giving up coffee, a person begins to experience problems with sleep.
Falling in love with chocolate
When the victorious march of chocolate around the world was just beginning, it was not at all like a modern favorite delicacy. Cocoa beans were served on the tables of the European nobility in the form of a specific bitter drink with seasonings and many cups of this dessert were literally drunk by aristocrats through force before confectioners guessed to add sugar to grated cocoa beans, although the indigenous peoples of the American continent have long mixed chocolate with various sweet ingredients. Later, Europeans discovered the recipe for chocolate with milk and from that moment the world was doomed to an all-consuming, indestructible passion for all kinds of chocolate desserts. What is the reason for the extraordinary popularity of chocolate?
Some say that the "fault" is the phenylethylamine contained in cocoa beans - a chemical substance released in the human brain when he is in love or feels happy. Surely you have heard an expression like: "Loving is like eating a lot of chocolate." At the same time, for example, cheese contains even more phenylethylamine, but its popularity does not go to any comparisons with the universal love of chocolate.
Some experts associate "chocolate fever" with anandamide, an analogue of cannabinol, the main psychoactive component of marijuana. Anandamide, which is also called the "molecule of bliss", lifts the mood and relieves fatigue, although experts note that if a person wants to achieve an effect similar to the effect of marijuana, he will have to eat at least a kilogram of chocolate.
In addition to anandamide and phenylethylamine, cocoa beans contain theobromine, a substance similar to caffeine, which is known to be addictive. For what exactly people love chocolate, scientists have yet to find out, since it contains about 380 active substances. But does it really matter? After all, love is an irrational feeling and instead of trying to find out its nature, it is better to just enjoy every bite.
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