Dr. Llarena Discusses How Serotonin Levels in the Brain Likely Influence PMS Symptoms, Including Cravings.

Dr. Llarena of HRC Fertility was recently quoted in an article written by Brooke Helton for Insider online magazine  titled “Crave carbs and sugar during your period? Try a food swap to indulge your cravings without making PMS worse“.  In the article, Dr. Llarena discusses how changes in serotonin levels in the brain likely influence PMS symptoms, including cravings.

Serotonin is a hormone that acts as a mood stabilizer and helps control your appetite. Levels of this hormone can fluctuate throughout your menstrual cycle. In fact, research links PMS symptoms to lower levels of serotonin.

Carbohydrates can indirectly increase serotonin levels, since eating carbs allows amino acids like tryptophan to cross the blood-brain barrier.

Since tryptophan helps your body create serotonin, the lower serotonin levels brought on by your period could lead to cravings for foods high in carbs or sugar, Llarena says — like pasta or cake.

Your cravings may also depend on other factors, from your cultural background to your personal taste.

For example, one study suggests that around 50% of American people who menstruate crave chocolate during the onset of their periods. But for menstruating people born outside the US, only around 17% reported chocolate cravings around their period.

Visit Insider for the complete article.