WHAT DRIVES THE CRAVING?

“The cause behind these cravings is still not fully understood,” says Kate Tattersall, a Johannesburg-based clinical dietitian at MME Dietitians. “Some believe cravings are the body’s way of telling us we’re in need of a certain nutrient, while other people believe it’s all in the mind.

“It’s speculated that food cravings are a result of the hormonal changes experienced during pregnancy, particularly in the first trimester. This change in hormones is thought to impact on taste and smell, which in turn affects food choices,” Kate explains. But at this point, there’s no scientific evidence to support any of the theories.

While there may be no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of what causes food cravings, a study has revealed a strong link between anaemia (a condition where a lack of iron in the body leads to a reduction in the number of red blood cells) and pica. Published in the American Journal of Nutrition, the study of 158 pregnant teenagers, conducted at Cornell University in the USA, found that nearly half of them engaged in pica. But pregnant teens are generally at higher risk for anaemia, says lead author Dr Kimberly O’Brien. “As anaemia increased, so did these [pica] behaviours, but we don’t know what happens first.”

What’s certain is that some non-nutritive things you eat during pregnancy may be harmful to you and your developing baby. “Not only could the ingredient be toxic or parasitic, but it may also interfere with normal nutrient absorption of healthy food sources, which may then lead to other nutrient deficiencies,” Kate says.