Here's Why You're Really Craving Chocolate

When you crave chocolate, it could mean that you need to top up your magnesium levels. And it's actually a craving that's particularly common in women during their period. "Around the time of your period, your body uses up more magnesium, which is why many women experience PMS and chocolate food cravings simultaneously," Lisa Young, professor of nutrition at New York University, explained to Shape. 

Why is this mineral so important in our diets? "We need magnesium for more than 300 biological reactions in the body, including blood sugar balance," medicinal herbalist Daniela Turley revealed to StyleCaster. "Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include agitation, restless leg syndrome, irritability, insomnia, and PMS. As chocolate is high in magnesium, chocolate cravings can be a sign of low levels, especially if you have some of the deficiency symptoms."

So what should you reach for when you can't stop thinking about chocolate? Foods that are high in magnesium, of course. To get your recommended daily amount of roughly 300 milligrams for women (400 milligrams for men), reach for spinach, Swiss chard, edamame, skin-on potatoes, halibut, and Atlantic pollock (via WebMD).