Some people crave for sweets more than others. There can be several reasons for this but one theory is that people feel the need for something sweet when a certain chemical in our brain is low. The chemical is called Serotonin and is a neurotransmitter which is formed in the brain. Its main effect includes improving mood and giving us that “happy and satisfied feeling”. When Serotonin is low we feel stressed and out of balance, frustrated and sometimes depressed.
Sweets increase the amount of Serotonin in our brains (because of the high amount of carbohydrates) and that’s why some people particularly crave for sweets when they feel out of balance in one way or another.
This theory also explains why we often feel like something sweet after a main course and not before a main course. A main course often contains meat, poultry, fish, egg or milk products etc. which are all very protein rich.
Protein makes the Serotonin fall and our brain reacts by increasing our desire to eat something sweet. When we eat the sweet dessert or just a sweet piece of fruit the Serotonin increases again.
