Food Cravings: A Cause for Concern?

Ever wondered what was behind that insatiable desire for ice cubes? A look at the food cravings attributed to pregnancy.

From Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal

Change Text Size

Change Text Size
|
Bookmark

Bookmark

Del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
StumbleUpon
TwitThis
|
Print
|
E-Mail

From pickles to ice cream, stories abound about the food cravings of pregnant women.

Here's a bit of information to consider:

The cravings pregnant women feel are certainly real, but they rarely reflect any true nutritional problem. The one exception is craving ice, which may be a sign of iron-deficiency anemia.

Some women, however, inexplicably develop pica, a craving for bizarre, inedible substances, such as clay, soil, paint, coffee grounds, and laundry starch. Some studies have linked such cravings to iron deficiency, even though in reality, eating soil, clay, or starch lowers iron absorption.

From Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal

Should Everyone Read This? Yes! I vote for this story

50 Funniest Jokes
Laugh more, live longer with the funniest jokes ever.
41 Secrets Your Doctor Would Never Share
Those free medication samples may not be the best - or safest. Find out what else doctors shared with Reader's Digest when we asked them to tell it like it is.
5 Vitamin Truths and Lies
Are you still relying on vitamins to keep you healthy? Learn the truth about which supplements help and which ones you can toss.
13 Things Your Bartender Won't Tell You
Bartenders share their secrets, tips and best etiquette advice.
13 Things Your Waiter Won't Tell You
Waiters share insider secrets about restaurants--from what days to avoid dining out to how much to tip.

• Your Medical Care
• Mind & Body

Weight-Loss Solutions for New Moms
What to do when babies sap the time and energy needed to keep in shape.
Before You Eat That: Pregnancy and Food Safety
4 little-known things expectant moms should know about the threat of common foods.
Coping With Morning Sickness
Tips for handling one of pregnancy's most infamous symptoms.
Nutrition and Pregnancy: Facts and Fictions
Dietary information for when you're expecting.

Get It Through E-mail

Get info and tips you can really use!
Sign up to receive the This Week@RD newsletter.

See a Sample
Choose from all our newsletters
Sign up for our RSS feeds instead

Food Cravings: A Cause for Concern?

Ever wondered what was behind that insatiable desire for ice cubes? A look at the food cravings attributed to pregnancy.

From Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal

Digg

Reader's Digest Around the World