How common is the symptom Food cravings among people with endometriosis?
84,28% of people with endometriosis reported Food cravings as a symptom of endometriosis in our survey.
How common is the symptom Food cravings among people with endometriosis compared to the non-affected group?
18,21% of people with endometriosis suffer from the symptom Food cravings very strong compared to a prevalence of 7,55% among non-affected individuals.
The following table shows the symptom Food cravings in people with endometriosis compared to non-affected individuals. The scale ranges from 1 (not at all) to 5 (very strong).
| Symptom severity | Endometriosis | Non-affected | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| not at all | 15,72% | 31,45% | -15,72% |
| slightly | 13,12% | 16,98% | -3,86% |
| moderate | 26,88% | 27,67% | -0,79% |
| strong | 26,07% | 16,35% | 9,72% |
| very strong | 18,21% | 7,55% | 10,66% |
Based on the datasets, we calculated the Kendall correlation. The following symptoms could be related to Food cravings.
| Symptom name | Correlation |
|---|---|
| Flatulence | weak correlation (24,00%) |
| Exhaustion / Fatigue | weak correlation (23,00%) |
| Hot flashes | weak correlation (20,00%) |
Food cravings refer to an urge for high-calorie foods that clearly goes beyond a normal interest in such foods. Food cravings can be a symptom of various psychological as well as physical conditions. Thanks to modern endocrinology—the science of hormones—we know that hunger and satiety sensations are linked to hormones. Because levels of several hormones rise and fall across the menstrual cycle, it is plausible that the cravings many women experience right before their period are hormonally driven and not simply imagined. Studies have shown a relationship between the level of progesterone and the sensation of hunger: the lower the progesterone level, the greater the desire for sweet, salty, or fatty foods. In many women with endometriosis, there is an imbalance between the hormones estrogen and progesterone throughout the cycle, leading to a relative progesterone deficiency. Craving episodes can therefore be a symptom of endometriosis.
However, there are other hormones that influence hunger. These include “ghrelin.” This abbreviation stands for “Growth Hormone Release Inducing,” meaning the release of growth hormones. Ghrelin influences growth processes, mood, and sleep patterns. An excessively high ghrelin level in the blood triggers craving episodes. Ghrelin also has another significance: researchers have found that ghrelin levels are lower in women with endometriosis than in healthy women. This growth hormone therefore appears to play a role in how endometriosis functions. Exactly how the interactions among the individual hormones that promote craving episodes look, and how they influence each other’s levels, still needs to be researched.
It is important that, if craving episodes occur regularly, you take steps to counteract them: If you give in to the desire for sweet or fatty foods, you can usually only satisfy the craving in the short term. These foods cause a short-term rise in insulin (blood sugar). Afterward, insulin levels quickly drop again and the cravings return. A more sustainable way to counter cravings is therefore to consume foods with complex carbohydrates, such as muesli or whole-grain products.