Have You Ever Wondered, “Why Do I Crave Olives?” Here’s What You Need to Know
There’s something undeniably captivating about olives—their briny, tangy flavor seems to have a magnetic pull that’s hard to ignore.
From green olives with their crisp bite to the rich, earthy Kalamata, olives come in a variety of forms that can make anyone’s mouth water. Whether you find them perched on a cheese platter, nestled in a Mediterranean salad, or simply enjoyed straight from the jar, these little fruits can entice us.
But have you ever stopped to wonder why you crave them so intensely? Unlike more straightforward cravings, such as the urge for sweets during stressful times or the desire for dairy when protein levels are low, olives present a more complex craving. What is it about these small, savory morsels that makes them so irresistible?
In this blog post, we’ll dive into the top four reasons why people find themselves craving olives. We’ll explore everything from their unique flavor profile to their potential health benefits. Plus, we’ll answer some pressing questions, such as:
- Is it harmful to consume a lot of olives?
- What are the effects of eating olives daily?
If you’ve been curious about why olives hold such a special place in your cravings, stay with us as we uncover the science and psychology behind this savory desire and how incorporating olives into your diet might just be beneficial.
PS. The Eating Enlightenment Food Journal App can be pivotal in managing these cravings, helping you track your intake, and addressing emotional eating and binges.
1 – Dehydration
A significant cause of liquid cravings is dehydration.
You are craving juice, coffee, milk, or orange juice because you’re dehydrated.
Your body knows that most liquids hydrate your body. However, not all liquids hydrate your body. For example, if you drink coffee, the caffeine content cancels the hydration effect from the water in the coffee.
When your body is dehydrated, it’s natural to start craving liquids. Your body craves liquids because it knows they will give your body the water it desperately needs.
Orange juice is one of those liquids that hydrate your body. So, it’s perfectly normal to crave orange juice, especially if you’re thirsty.
2 – Low Blood Sugar Or Low Caloric Intake
I remember feeling a little bit nauseous this morning. My stomach was rumbling and growling, and I didn’t feel well. I suspected I had low blood sugar but wasn’t quite sure.
Because of my upset stomach, I didn’t feel like eating. However, I knew that it would be better for me to get something in my stomach so that it would have something to digest, and then I would have energy for later.
Instinctively, I knew that my best choice was orange juice. Orange juice has a lot of sugar and calories, so I knew that if I had low blood sugar, it would help me feel better.
I also knew that orange juice has some calories, so I would have energy for later. If I had skipped drinking orange juice, I would have missed out on those calories, and I may have felt tired later.
But, in my gut, I knew that orange juice would give my body the sugar and calories needed to function.
So, if you are craving orange juice, it could just be because you have low blood sugar. Plus, if you have low blood sugar, you are likely dehydrated as well.
Between needing water and more blood sugar, these are the most likely reasons you are craving orange juice.
Can you also see that if you’re craving sugar, the same low blood sugar principle applies?
3 – Stress
Stress is not the most likely reason you crave orange juice, however it can play a significant role in your cravings.
If you are dehydrated, slightly hungry, and stressed…, then you have a combination of factors that makes craving orange juice more likely.
Why does stress potentially lead to orange juice cravings?
For starters, stress is highly related to obesity. For example, in 2018, the research journal “Obesity” published a study showing how people under stress emit more of a hormone called ‘ghrelin.’
Ghrelin has been linked to cravings for sugar and junk food. And what is high in sugar? Orange juice.
Is it reasonable to drink orange juice?
Orange juice is overall fine to drink.
However, when you crave orange for stress-related reasons, it’s good to step back and assess whether or not you need orange juice at that moment.
Other Reasons: Pregnancy, Vitamin C, and Gut Bacteria
3 other reasons can also play a role in your orange juice cravings (if you’re having any) – pregnancy, vitamin C, and gut bacteria. However, these three reasons are secondary.
The primary reasons you crave orange juice are probably because:
- You need some water
- Your belly is a bit hungry, and you have corresponding low blood sugar levels.
- You’re a bit stressed.
Now, you may be feeling great, with no stress in the world, and you’re simply dehydrated or need some food. Or you may be feeling dehydrated and stressed but fine from the food perspective.
Any combination of these variables can be involved. As I said earlier, food cravings are complex and very situational.
However, if you have accounted for the water, hunger, and stress variables and you are still having orange juice cravings, then you may perhaps be dealing with one or more of the following factors:
4 – Pregnancy
In the course of pregnancy, women, of course, go through many hormonal changes.
A pregnant woman is eating for two after all, and she must undergo some hormonal changes to tell her body that she needs to eat more food!
Is craving oranges a sign of pregnancy?
No. You could crave oranges or have other fruit cravings for too many different reasons.
Of course, you may be pregnant too! Pregnancy explains a lot of food cravings. But again, put these variables all together.
Are you stressing out? Are you eating enough? It’s more likely you are dehydrated than pregnant!
5 – Vitamin C
Oranges are a fantastic source of vitamin C.
I know that when I become low in specific nutrients, I start to crave foods that contain these nutrients more.
For example, sometimes I realize that I haven’t had any fruit in a few days, and then I may come across an apple—and it is so delicious!
You may also be experiencing some vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Mineral deficiencies could lead to a craving for vitamin C, and since oranges are high in vitamin C, this explains why you are craving them.
However, if you are vitamin C deficient, it’s also likely that your diet is not diverse enough. You’ll need to have more foods rich in vitamin C.
You could easily be dehydrated! You may also have low blood sugar and need more vitamin C.
Unfortunately, not everyone has access to fresh oranges. I know you may live next to a grocery store or have easy access to oranges at the supermarket, but sadly, not everyone has oranges they can quickly get :/
There’s been more discussion lately about whether a glass of water and some rosehip dietary vitamin C supplements equal a fresh Florida or California orange.
People say the best is the natural orange found in nature. But I tend to think whatever is convenient for you is best.
Speaking of convenience, many great vitamin C supplements can boost your immune system and help with cravings.
Read my ‘best Vitamin C supplements’ review article here.
Can you have too much orange juice?
While I already answered this question above (yes, you can have too much orange juice) sometimes what I think people mean to ask is ‘can you have too much vitamin C’?
Fortunately, with vitamin C, it’s difficult to have too much vitamin C because your body will pee out excess amounts of vitamin C.
For example, the common cold, over-the-counter medicine “Airborne” will give you 1000% vitamin C for the day, and you’ll be fine. That being said, you can still have too much orange juice!
6 – Gut Bacteria
Another minor, perhaps relevant reason behind orange juice cravings is gut bacteria.
Again, it’s the least likely reason. However, if you have eliminated all the other variables, perhaps gut bacteria is at play.
Gut bacteria can change your taste buds, causing you to crave foods that help support those bacteria. Many bacteria crave a nice, sugary environment, which could be supported by orange juice.
Here is how to prevent one type of gut bacteria from being too overwhelming and making you crave sugary foods.
You try to eat various foods and remove any nutritional deficiencies.
In particular, with the gut bacteria that affect sugar cravings, it’s recommended that you try eating more foods such as:
Eat these and see if your orange juice food cravings go down. Just be sure you are also eating enough, getting enough stress relief, and staying hydrated!
One last measure is ensuring your stomach has plenty of “good” bacteria. One way to provide your stomach with good bacteria is a probiotic.
Probiotics can significantly improve stomach health and are usually found in Greek yogurt.
With that being said, let’s wrap up this food cravings article. Read here for more info about what food cravings mean in general.
Let me know in the comments below what your favorite brand of orange juice is!