• Question: why do pregnant women get cravings while they're pregnant?

    Asked by to Daren, Lynne, Phillip, Simon on 18 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Daren Fearon

      Daren Fearon answered on 18 Jun 2014:

      Some people believe that pregnancy cravings are a way of pregnant women’s bodies telling them they need certain nutrients but there is not a lot of evidence supporting this.

      During pregnancy the levels of different hormones involved in appetite and metabolism can change. Also changes in the different levels of various molecules in the brain can effect perception of taste. This could explain the unusual things people crave.

    • Photo: Phillip Manning

      Phillip Manning answered on 19 Jun 2014:

      The chemistry of the brain is a splendidly complex place to ferret around for answers to such questions…when pregnant the body produces a symphony of hormones that cause subtle changes in the chemistry that interacts with the brain…and this affects apatite!

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