What does the body lack if you want something spicy? What the body really lacks when you want salty, sweet, spicy or sour

There are times when a person really wants something specific or simply has a distinct taste. It could be a desire for sour, sweet, salty, fatty, burnt - the list goes on and on. Typically, a desire for foods of a specific taste may indicate a lack of certain substances in the body or a food that tastes poor.

Why do you want sour? This may depend on various factors such as eating too much sweet food, long-term use neutral foods or a sharply increased need for vitamin C in the body (for example, with colds).

It’s one thing when the addiction appears for a short time and after receiving a certain dose of “sourness” it disappears on its own. And it’s completely different when the desire to eat acidic foods persists for a long time and reaches the point of absurdity. In the first case, there is no reason to worry, but in the second, you should consult a doctor.

The desire to consume lemons and other citrus fruits in large quantities may indicate a lack of vitamin C, which is necessary for the functioning of many body systems and the formation of strong immunity.

Possible causes of acid deficiency

The desire for sour should not be ignored as a symptom that does not cause inconvenience. It could be physiological need body in certain substances or signal a serious pathology. In any case, with any change in the habitual perception of tastes or desires, the state of the body must be considered under the prism hidden disease, which will prevent the development serious consequences for future health.

Diet

If you develop an addiction to a certain taste, you should first pay attention to your daily diet. The most common reason for craving sour foods is a lack of flavors or vitamins and minerals in the diet. This can be caused by a diet for the purpose of losing weight, when the body is “tortured” by endless hunger strikes and restrictions (for example, adherence to the same diet: chicken, vegetables or kefir). The appearance of taste preferences indicates a lack of vitamin and requires a reaction from the person. The symptom is eliminated by normal nutrition.

Proper nutrition should not only contain foods that are good for health, but also be varied in terms of different tastes

The second reason may be commitment to healthy food, when a person monitors his diet and limits salty, fatty, fried, smoked foods. On general condition This has a good effect on the body, but the taste buds feel a “depletion” of tastes. The problem can be solved by simply diversifying everyday dishes, adding various products and sauces that have a sour or spicy taste. The list of dishes included in the diet may fully meet the requirements for healthy eating or be considered " junk food» — slight deviation There's no harm in choosing dishes.

When there is an excess of hard-to-digest food, the body requires something sour to improve the digestion process, and “lightening” the diet will eliminate the desire for “sourness.”

Avitaminosis

Another reason is the lack or absence of vitamin C in food. You can talk about the development of vitamin deficiency if you want something sour and at the same time additional symptoms are pronounced:

• increased fatigue due to normal nutrition and while maintaining the usual load;
• pale skin;
• frequent colds (more than 4 times a year);
• changes in sleep patterns (insomnia at night accompanied by daytime sleepiness);
• fragility of blood vessels (expressed in the constant formation minor hemorrhages and “bruises” on the body);
• increased bleeding (in case of injuries or causeless nosebleeds);
• severe headaches and joint pain;
• myalgia (muscle pain).

Important. The most serious problem of nutritional failure is the development of vitamin deficiency. Depletion of the body with a certain group of vitamins (or the occurrence of general hypovitaminosis) leads to the development of various diseases.

Infectious diseases

Most common reason The reason why you want sour is a lack of vitamin C. Infectious disease, accompanied by hyperthermia, requires increased content ascorbic acid necessary for the production of interferon.

To speed up the healing process together with the complex therapeutic measures and substances require taking vitamin C in a higher dosage (for colds, up to 1000 ml per day for adults and up to 250 for children).

Vitamin C, found in most foods sour taste, necessary for the formation of interferon, which resists viral infections

When attacked by viruses even without visible signs If you have a cold, your body may ask for something sour, which is so necessary to fight infection.

Gastrointestinal diseases

At pathological processes gastrointestinal tract(especially inflammatory in nature) there is a violation of acidity. The body compensates for the lack of production gastric juice consumption of acidic foods. Most frequent illness, accompanied by a decrease in acidity, gastritis and stomach ulcers are considered. In addition to stomach pathologies, cravings for sour foods can occur when the functioning of the liver and bile ducts is impaired.

Craving sour during pregnancy

During pregnancy, many women crave sour foods, which is considered normal and does not require correction.

The need for acidic foods during pregnancy arises for the following reasons:

1. Nausea in the first half of pregnancy. Pregnancy early dates accompanied by a decrease in enzyme activity, which is manifested by nausea and vomiting (pregnant toxicosis). Consumption of acidic foods stimulates the gastrointestinal tract and reduces negative symptoms.
2. Acidic foods enhance calcium absorption. The formation of the skeleton of the unborn child requires a large amount of this mineral, so eating acidic foods in the first half of pregnancy is to help your baby develop.
3. Vitamin C is involved in the absorption of iron, which is necessary to maintain normal level hemoglobin. In addition to helping with iron absorption, vitamin C is essential for maintaining immune system mothers on high level, and is also actively absorbed by the child in the process of formation connective tissue And cardiovascular system. To satisfy the need for sour, it is recommended to consume tomatoes, cherries, grapes, lemon, black currants, which will provide the body not only with ascorbic acid, but also various vitamins and microelements.

Usually, the desire for a certain food product indicates a lack of some substance, for example, with calcium deficiency, there is a need for fermented milk

Important. Pregnancy may be accompanied by an increase in the body's need for sour, sweet, bitter and other tastes, which is due to protective regulation the body for a lack of any substances required for the normal well-being of a woman or for the full growth of the baby.

Craving certain foods that taste sour

In addition to the desire to eat sour foods, the body can “ask” specific product from the general series, having this taste, which indicates a lack of certain nutrients or minerals. Let's look at it in more detail below.

Sour berries and fruits

Why do you want lemon, blackcurrant or cranberry? Typically, the desire for these berries signals a lack of ascorbic acid and potassium. The intake of these substances is important for full-fledged work cardiovascular system, digestive and immune. You can replace these products with ascorbic acid or a vitamin complex with a high content of vitamin C and potassium.

Fermented milk products

The body's need for milk, kefir, snowball and other milk-based products indicates an increased need for calcium. With a lack of calcium, osteoporosis develops - increased fragility bones. In addition to calcium, dairy products are rich in essential amino acids: tryptophan, leucine and lysine. They are necessary to maintain internal homeostasis. Also fermented milk products rich in prebiotics necessary for intestinal function and complete absorption of food.

Sauerkraut

If long time I want sauerkraut, the reason should be found out. This may indicate a lack of vitamins (C, PP) and minerals necessary for the full functioning of the intestines. The need for substances contained in this product increases with severe emotional stress, prolonged stress or exhaustion nervous system.

To one English doctor A patient came in with an unusual complaint. She's constantly in huge quantities devoured lettuce. The doctor found out that his unusual patient had several maternal relatives with breast cancer. It is against this disease that lettuce, which contains, is useful as a preventive measure. natural medicine from cancer. The doctor explained to the alarmed woman: this was how her body protected itself from a possible disease, a predisposition to which is often inherited.

Our taste preferences- a litmus test that reflects physiological changes in the body, he believes Svetlana Derbeneva, Ph.D., leading employee of the Research Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. - Unusual wishes- symptoms of emerging diseases. In this way, the body lets us know what it lacks.

What you want: Fish and seafood.

Where does it hurt: Symptom of iodine deficiency.

Advice: It is better to compensate for the lack of iodine with fish - shrimp and mussels often cause allergies.

What you want:Sweet.

Where does it hurt: Additional portions of glucose are usually required for nervous and mental exhaustion. Glucose is involved in the production of adrenaline, which is released during stress. A separate case is a strict diet with a limited range of products. In this case, the body misses saturated fat and holiday food.

Advice: Don't indulge in buns - better use dark chocolate. It is not only useful, but also contains stimulants that can cause positive emotions. Optimal source of saturated fatty acids - butter(30 g per day). You can increase the amount of fat in your diet through foods plant origin- nuts and vegetable oil.

What you want:Dairy products.

Where does it hurt: Addiction to dairy dishes is a sure sign of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Advice: Porridge, cottage cheese and milk are the only things the body accepts at the time of exacerbation of ulcers and gastritis, etc. Milk fats in combination with phosphorus are usually not enough during the period nervous overstrain and at muscle spasms. In addition, milk contains the amino acids tryptophan, lysine and leucine, which normalize mood and sleep. Try to choose low-fat dairy products.

What you want: Sour - lemons, cranberries, pickled products.

Where does it hurt: Gastritis of low acidity, cold or influenza condition, in which the need for vitamin C increases sharply.

Advice: Sour foods should not be eaten on an empty stomach - this negatively affects the condition of the mucous membrane.

What you want: Salty, spicy or bitter food.

Where does it hurt: Such requirements are more often due to family or national traditions - for example, in Central Asia spices protect dishes from spoilage, and the body from intestinal infections. This also happens when accelerated exchange substances that are observed during active physical work, excessive activity (hyperfunction) thyroid gland, during pregnancy. Salt is actively removed from the body in diseases of the genitourinary system (cystitis, prostatitis, inflammation of the female reproductive sphere). Craving for spicy foods is observed when lazy stomach, which digests food slowly, hot spices stimulate digestion. Craving for bitter is a symptom of intoxication (poisoning) of the body.

Advice: A large amount of salt retains fluid in the body, therefore it is fraught with edema, as well as an increase in blood pressure. Therefore, it is better to compensate for the craving for salty foods by drinking natural water of high mineralization. The best spices that promote digestion - sweet peppercorns and ginger. When intoxicated, you need not only to eat bitter things, but also to drink more.

All cells of the body consist of membranes that are covered with fats. If there is not enough fat in the body, cells become depleted and the risk of Alzheimer's disease increases.

Nerve cells in the body have long processes that are covered with lipid fats. If the layer of lipid fat is thin, the processes become exposed, coordination of movements is impaired and memory problems arise.

Membranes quickly divide into childhood, and lack of cholesterol leads to retarded growth and development. Cholesterol is good and bad. The latter are lipoproteins with a fat droplet inside. If there is not enough fat, the membrane membrane of the cholesterol capsule bursts and the fat spills inside, blocking the vessel and blocking blood access. For cholesterol to become good, the body must have a balance between proteins and fats.

Why do we need fats?

Animal fats must be present in the body. The minimum amount of fat is 30 grams. With a lack of fat in women, it stops menstrual cycle and early menopause occurs. To balance cholesterol and protein levels, it is enough to eat 1 boiled egg. When there is not enough fat, the body begins to convert proteins and carbohydrates into fat and we begin to gain weight.

The biggest misconception is that fatty foods make us “fat.” In fact, it is not the consumption of fats that leads to weight gain, but the consumption of sugar, that is, carbohydrates. At excessive consumption sugar, the body cannot process it and stores it as fat.

The amount of fat in a person does not depend on consumption fatty foods. The less fatty foods a person eats, the more sweets he begins to consume. The number of fat cells in the body does not change, but they can increase a thousand times.

Why do you want fatty foods?

• increased physical activity;
• low-fat diets;
• lack of fat-soluble vitamins;
• diet with minimum quantity fat or lack thereof;
• prolonged exposure to the cold or cold season.

Why do you crave fatty foods more often in winter?

Fat is the main source of energy for humans and its consumption increases during the cold season. Fat gives us 60% of energy. Since we spend a lot of energy in winter to stay warm and move around with the weight of clothing, we crave fatty foods more often in winter. A 15-minute walk in the cold is equivalent to an hour-long workout in the gym. People who live in cold regions eat more fat and meat.

For wellness Walk more in winter, eat foods containing fats and fatty acids, and eliminate sugar, starch and carbohydrates from your diet.

What products can you replenish?

1. Chicken eggs. They contain fat soluble vitamins, protein and cholesterol.
2. Olive oil. Contains fats and fatty acids, in particular oleic acid, known as Omega-9. It does not affect the level of cholesterol in the blood, but prevents the formation cholesterol plaques and blockage of blood vessels. Omega-9 is found in avocados, olives and nuts.
3. Flaxseed oil is a record holder for the content of Omega-3 fatty acids. Since the body cannot produce Omega-3, we need to constantly consume foods that contain it.
4. Sunflower oil contains 12 times more vitamin E than olive oil and contains Omega-6. This fatty acid is found in sesame, soybean and peanut oil. When oil goes rancid, it becomes toxic.
5. Butter promotes the production of prostaglandin, which improves immunity. Daily norm– 9 gr.

For greater benefits, it is better to use oils in combination.

But margarine should not be used. It is harmful because it can clog nerve vessels and this leads to atherosclerosis.

It is better to combine fatty foods with foods without starch. These are salads, green vegetables and sour fruits. Fats can only enter the body with carbohydrates. They are not absorbed without insulin - these are hormones that regulate blood sugar levels. Insulin blocks the release of fatty acids from cells.

In this article we will not consider the classic situation - why women interesting position I want something salty. The answer to the question - sometimes why you want salty, why you want sour and why you want spicy and other unhealthy things may not lie on the surface. Sometimes our taste preferences act like a litmus test showing physiological changes in the body, and unusual desires can reflect incipient illnesses.

Salty. Cravings for salty foods sometimes indicate the presence of inflammatory process. Insistent desire to taste pickled cucumber can tell about problems in genitourinary system, it could be cystitis, kidney disease, or even inflammation of the appendages.

Why does the body need salt?

Salt is characterized by the content of mainly 2 elements - sodium and chlorine, of course, there are also impurities in it large quantities. The body needs sodium to maintain water balance, also transfer nerve impulses And normal operation muscles without it seems also impossible.

For residents with cold climates per day it is necessary up to 5 gr. salt. Those who live in southern latitudes need more, up to 20 grams, due to the fact that sweating is increased in such a climate.

The most healthy products

• Herring. Fish protein contains essential amino acids, and most likely the most important one is taurine, which helps prevent nervous and cardiovascular diseases. Largest quantity Taurine is found in ocean fish, and herring is an ocean fish. Another advantage of herring is that it contains a large amount of fatty acids, thanks to which herring lovers should have good eyesight, strong nerves, low level bad cholesterol, healthy heart and rarely detected various tumor diseases.

• Brynza. With the help of this product the body is supplied with various vitamins minerals. These are vitamins A, B, D, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, etc. And compared to other cheeses, feta cheese has relatively little fat. This is because the milk is not exposed heat treatment, which preserves microelements and vitamins completely.

Just a note. A large amount of salt will retain fluid in the body, which can lead to swelling and may also increase blood pressure. That's why " salty cravings» it would be better to replenish by consuming natural water, having increased mineralization.

Why do you want sour things, you may not have enough magnesium?

We have learned why you want salty things, we will consider the reasons when for some reason you want a special product, something sour or bitter, because our body, thus, can let us understand what it is missing if we want sour.

Sour. Acid fruit acids will help eliminate putrefactive processes, stimulate the digestion process, and improve metabolism. With a craving for sour foods, we can talk about a cold developing in the body, when it begins to feel a lack of ascorbic acid, and can also be characterized by a lack of acid in the gastric juice.

The most useful products

• Lemon. Lemon pulp contains a lot of pectin, which helps remove toxins and waste from the body, which protects it from cancer and heart and vascular diseases.

• Cranberry. Cranberries contain a lot of antioxidants - substances that protect our cells from harmful influences. free radicals, which is attributed premature aging with the heart - vascular and oncological diseases. Cranberries contain, in fairly large quantities, vitamins belonging to group B, magnesium, iodine, and potassium. But the ascorbic acids in these sour berries not enough, contrary to popular belief. There is 40 times less vitamin C in cranberries than in rose hips. But this will be more than compensated by the presence in it rare vitamin PP, the absence of which will not allow the body to absorb this ascorbic acid.

• Fruits, legumes and legumes, seeds, nuts. These products will help in case of magnesium deficiency, but their regular consumption is necessary.

Gorky. Bitterness itself, of course, is not very pleasant, but it can perfectly enhance the tastes of other foods; bitter foods also have anti-inflammatory properties, they also help digestion and improve appetite.

When you want something bitter, this can serve as a signal that there are problems with digestion or intoxication of the body. Perhaps you also ate a lot of heavy food, you need to arrange something like a fasting day.

The most useful products

• Horseradish. The substances that make up horseradish promote the breakdown of fats, which is why it is a vegetable and valuable for those who want to walk." slim figure"or remove extra pounds. Experienced housewives know that when jellied meat or fatty pork is flavored with this vegetable, it helps to avoid stomach heaviness, even for those who are not embarrassed to pay tribute to these tasty, but, it seems, to healthy dishes not relevant.

• Radish. The daily requirement of vitamin C is contained in one medium-sized radish. This vegetable has the properties of strengthening the walls of blood vessels, helping to prevent dysbiosis, and improving digestion. And with the abundance of B vitamins contained in radishes, you can resist stress, and new information remembered better.

From time to time the question arises - why sometimes you want spicy... and sweet

How to satisfy such a need that sometimes arises? Why do you sometimes crave something spicy or sweet? When answering these questions, it should be noted that using spicy foods, the dishes are given not only the necessary piquancy, but these products also improve the digestion of fatty foods and stimulate the appetite. Causes may include elevated cholesterol levels.

What foods are the healthiest?

• Pepper. Scientists have found that the substance contained in chili peppers, which gives it its specific and classic pungency, can significantly reduce blood level Sahara. This discovery will suggest that in the future pepper may be used in the treatment of diabetes. Experiments on dogs proved that after receiving a dose of sugar after 2 hours, the blood glucose level of dogs that received capsaicin (found in pepper) was significantly lower than in dogs that did not receive it.

• Mustard. Contained in mustard essential oils have a stimulating effect on protective equipment body, so this seasoning is indispensable for colds. Data have also been obtained that with the help mustard oil the aging process of the body slows down, the risk of cancer with cardiovascular vascular diseases also decreases.

Why do you want sweets?

Polish doctors found that human body devoid of sugar will not last long. Sugar activates blood circulation in the spinal cord and brain, and if complete failure from sugar, then sclerotic changes are very likely.

In addition, sugar can help improve the functioning of the liver and spleen. Therefore, people who have diseases of these organs are prescribed diets where there is increased content Sahara.

The emergence of an irresistible desire to eat something sweet, as a rule, may indicate overwork. The brain feels a lack of nutrients and has to persistently demand glucose. So, when it’s hard for you to pass by the display case with cakes, you should take an unscheduled day off.

What's the most useful thing?

• Chocolate. 30 gr. chocolate or cocoa contains 10% of the iron needed for the day. It also contains vitamins A, B, C, D, E, potassium, calcium, sodium. Italian scientists have also found that chocolate can reduce blood pressure. This is due to flavonoids - substances present in dark chocolate and in large quantities. With their help, the heart is strengthened, blood circulation is improved, and the formation of blood clots is prevented, which, as you know, causes heart attacks and strokes. But we must not forget, if there is a desire to “be treated” with chocolate, that this high-calorie product, 100 gr. contains 500 calories.

• Honey. A spoonful of honey contains vitamin C, E, K, and B vitamins. In addition, honey contains almost all microelements, necessary for the body, including iron, calcium and potassium. And the abundance of amino acids in honey will have a beneficial effect on metabolism, and even this natural antibiotic, coping with various pathogenic bacteria.

Video about why you want salty reasons for this from the point of view modern medicine, what tests are required, see below:

, bananas, yoghurts and buckwheat porridge, and you will make up for its deficiency. According to some estimates, approximately 75% of the population of developed countries suffers from magnesium deficiency. This condition is quite difficult to determine and is most often asymptomatic. However, if you do not detect it on early stages, this may lead to the development serious pathologies and diseases such as type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, asthma and many other diseases and symptoms, which you can learn about here - Lack of magnesium in the body: symptoms in women, men and children.

I want something... - as a signal of illness

It happens that a craving for a particular product can be a sure signal of a beginning or chronic disease. Let's try to figure this out.

- Food always seems under-salted. This may indicate inflammation in the body, often inflammation of the genitourinary system.

- Constantly craving sour. This may indicate the presence of gastritis with low acidity stomach. It could also be an incipient cold, because... When you have a cold or fever, you really want something sour.

- Constantly craving something bitter. This may be a sign of intoxication in the body.

- I always want something spicy. This a clear sign higher level harmful cholesterol in the body and impaired lipid metabolism.

- Constantly craving something tart. As a rule, this may be a sign of reduced immunity.

- Tendency to eat bland food. It happens in people with a tendency to gastritis and ulcers of the stomach and duodenum. This tendency can also occur in people with liver and gallbladder diseases.

- Constantly craving sweets. As a rule, you want something sweet on an ongoing basis people with nervous system disorders. They may suffer from depression, often have Bad mood and sleep disorders. Sweets are not a solution to depression, because a lot of sweets are harmful to the body. Replace sweets with berries and sweet fruits. What is missing in the body in this case? The solution to the problem does not lie in the answer to this question. Try taking herbs, such as ginkgo biloba, and harmonize your life with regular meditation.