A 34-year-old member asked:
Why am i having unusual food cravings in pregnancy?
2 doctor answers • 8 doctors weighed in

Dr. Jeff Livingstonanswered
Obstetrics and Gynecology 23 years experience
No one knows: Weird food cravings are common in pregnancy. Some people even crave non-edible items (PICA) like dirt. It is ok to crave and eat different foods in pregnancy as long as they are healthy and as long as they are actually food substances.
6.2k viewsReviewed Jan 01, 2021

Dr. Carla Enriquezanswered
Pediatrics 51 years experience
Who knows? : Food cravings or aversions have been not been shown to correlate with a physiologic need during pregnancy or at other times. Maybe it's psychological. The important thing is to follow a healthy diet while pregnant to give your baby the best possible start in life. See http://www.Webmd.Com/baby/features/coping-with-pregnancy-food-cravings for an interesting discussion of this topic.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Similar questions
A 29-year-old member asked:
What are your favorite food cravings during your pregnancy?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

Dr. Kevin Passeranswered
36 years experience
Ice cream: Both my wife and i craved ice cream during both pregnancies.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:
Are pregnancy food cravings and aversions for real?
1 doctor answer • 4 doctors weighed in

Dr. Bac Nguyenanswered
Family Medicine 24 years experience
Many people have it.: Many pregnant women have this --quite common actually. We don't truly understand why, but possibly because of the rapid hormonal changes associated with pregnancy. Some become somewhat anemic and thus can crave/chew ice etc...
So, ask around...I am sure there are many women around your neighborhood....
Good luck on your pregnacy, if you are...
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Aside from pregnancy what could cause weird food cravings?
1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in

Dr. Chuck Shafferanswered
Bariatrics 34 years experience
See below: Some nutritionists and healthcare practitioners believe that certain cravings are meaningful. For example, cravings for ice and bizarre substances like dirt and cigarette butts (a condition called pica have been linked to an iron deficiency – even though none of those items contain significant amounts of iron. Some physicians believe it's a lack of minerals but no one really knows..
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Jan 1, 2021
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