Orange craving

Hi

Does anyone crave oranges.

I found an article which says craving oranges can indicate vitamin and mineral deficiency

I’ve been craving oranges for weeks , I’m taking four calcium with magnesium & other minerals a night .

[Mary-intussuception]

I wouldn't take Calcium tablets.

Have you had a Calcium & Phosphorus blood test recently (usually ordered as "Bone" these days in UK)?

What were your results?

Ask for Vitamin D tests also.

Never take multivitamins or multiminerals. Only take supplements if testing has found a deficiency or insufficiency (as a general rule ).

Do you eat a balanced diet? Do you have any gut diseases ? Are you taking a Proton Pump Inhibitor?

[Hidden in reply to Mary-intussuception]

Yes I had Vitamin D checked

I am vegetarian and suspect my iron is low as my monthly’s are lasting longer than they normally did .

Vitamin D <25 nmpl/L:significant deficiency (replacement

I though I had Phosphorus but can’t see it at the moment

[Hidden in reply to Mary-intussuception]

No I’m no longer taking the proton pump .

[Mary-intussuception in reply to Hidden]

Why did you stop your PPI?

What dose Levothyroxine are you on?

[Hidden in reply to Mary-intussuception]

I’m on T3 only

I have low stomach acid which isn’t great for T3

[Hennerton]

Oranges are full of Vit C. Maybe you need that.

[Hidden in reply to Hennerton]

I’ve just eaten 2 large ones and could go for another without hesitation

[greygoose]

I craved oranges each time I was pregnant - long time ago - but haven't since. Must be something in them you need.

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

Good job I’ve got a stash in the fridge to last me til Tuesday 😀

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

With the third baby, I ate a whole crate in 2 days! It was the only thing that didn't make me vomit. lol

[MissGrace]

Better for you than craving large boxes of Maltesers or egg and chips! Lol. 🤸🏿‍♀️🥛

[Hidden in reply to MissGrace]

Absolutely true . It could be worse I crave porridge too . I don’t have several bowls of that thought.

[StitchFairy in reply to Hidden]

The down side of oranges are their high sugar content The up side of porridge is that oats lower cholesterol (but that's not useful if you already have low cholesterol)!

[MaisieGray]

There may be some indirect factors involved, but I don't believe there's much quality evidence indicating that cravings have a direct/absolute correlation with nutritional deficiencies; and none I think, that warrants supplementing particularly with calcium, in the absence of test results indicating a deficiency. As adults, what, when & why we crave certain foodstuffs is likely much more about experience, learnt behaviours, reward systems and generally what's going on within the brain at such times. So for instance, stress affects cortisol levels, which, when elevated, will alter circulating levels of glucose and insulin, and we (unconsciously) 'learn' through experience, that we feel a temporary improvement by eating certain foods at that time. Likewise when depressed or in a bad mood, because we've 'learnt' what effect it has, we often crave sugar because of how good we feel temporarily when its consumption has boosted our serotonin level. The trigger: response mechanism can also mislead us, as in the case of calcium, zinc, chromium, & magnesium imbalances that can sometimes manifest themselves as sugar cravings too, yet those minerals help maintain hydration status, and rather than low levels triggering a sugar craving, what is actually required, is hydration. The link is to an interesting article in Scientific American, that better explains what might be involved in food cravings, which concludes that "Cravings undoubtedly represent a true bio-psycho-social paradigm in which socio-cultural factors, stressful environments and hormonal fluctuation participate in a complex drama performed on a neurological stage and the result has varied - and as yet incompletely understood implications for nutrition and health".

scientificamerican.com/arti...

[marin5 in reply to MaisieGray]

I crave orange extract to put in my tea! just bought 2 bottles of it so Ibdon't run out!

[ThyroidThora]

Hiya,

Craving oranges can be a sign of diabetes. It might be best to get your bloods checked for this because an underactive thyroid gland can cause diabetes if not treated properly.

TT x.

[MaisieGray in reply to ThyroidThora]

Extreme thirst or hunger can certainly be indicative of diabetes of course, but I can find no evidence that craving oranges is a specific symptom, it's not listed anywhere that I've read. I suspect it's an urban myth, but if it were true, why oranges and not say, pineapples or any other fruit? It doesn't hold up factually. Do you have a link that you can reference, that supports that is a diabetes symptom?

[Hidden in reply to MaisieGray]

I’m not diabetic

I think it could be down to mineral deficiency as I do crave citrus . I’d eat raw lemons if they didn’t make my teeth sensitive .

[Aurealis]

Hi Hidden have you been diagnosed with a thyroid disorder and are you taking treatment? Do you have any recent test results with ranges?

As you have been trying to lose weight and fasting, it seems from your other posts, perhaps you are deficient in some vitamins and minerals. In particular I’d get iron, niacin, thiamine checked. I have experienced food cravings including orange juice on increasing thyroid hormone dose from too low a dose.

[Hidden in reply to Aurealis]

Thanks for your post . I’ve actually stopped fasting now . It wasn’t helping me archive the goal I set out for . The only way I’m going to lose this weight is by medication alone . I’m not a glutton and don’t eat unhealthy it’s not my fault it’s low thyroid hormones that are at fault .

My T3 is 1.3. (4.5 -6)

He dosent measure TSH as I’m TSH deficient

And T4 is below low ref range

I only take T3

[Aurealis in reply to Hidden]

Your T3 does look low. I’ve never found it possible to lose weight by medication alone, always had to do ww or sw. good luck!