Food cravings and aversions during pregnancy have always been a bit of mystery. Not a lot of research has gone into what causes them, or why pregnant women must have certain food but can’t stand to be in the same room as others. The only thing we know for certain is that they exist.

One theory is of course, you guessed it, hormones. Hormones seem to be the culprit for a lot of the idiosyncrasies of pregnancy, especially those that don’t seem to have any other cause. The most likely hormonal culprit is progesterone. It has been found in studies of women taking birth control containing progesterone to cause cravings in those women as well.

Another interesting theory I have heard batted around a bit, in fact my doctor was talking to me about it at my last prenatal appointment, is that food cravings and aversions are something left over from our ancient ancestors. Apparently food cravings and aversions were necessary to make sure that women in the early human days got enough of the right nutrition to support their pregnancies, and steered clear of foods that were harmful. I thought it was a pretty interesting idea.

Nutritionists also believe that the heightened senses during pregnancy could also be to blame, particularly when it comes to food aversions. This can be particularly true of foods that trigger your morning sickness. A strong smell could send any pregnant women running for the nearest toilet. The heightened senses could also be responsible for making some food smell and taste a lot better during pregnancy as well.

The likely answer is that many things feed into what causes food cravings and aversions, and they will likely remain a mystery.

I have had my own little cravings and aversions experiences since the start of my pregnancy. I find myself craving odd foods, and believe me, nothing with do but the exact thing you are craving. For example a couple of weeks ago I was desperately craving mash potatoes. I had French fries to see if that would help, since I had some in the freezer already and didn’t have any potatoes (or the time to make them). The fries didn’t help at all. It was very satisfying a few days later to pile those mash potatoes on my plate!! My food aversion right now it to Mexican food, which unfortunately happens to be my husband’s favorite food. I just can’t win.

What foods did you crave during your pregnancy, and what foods sent you running for the nearest toilet?