The role of low progesterone and tension as triggers of perimenstrual chocolate and sweets craving: Some negative experimental evidence

Approximately half of the 40-50% of North American a omen who crave chocola te or sweets do so principally in the perimenstrum, the part of the menstru al cycle surrounding the onset of menstruation. We test two hypotheses abou t the events that trigger these cravings: 1) the premenstrual drop in proge sterone levels; or 2) dysphoria or tension in the perimenstruum. Chocolate craving, sweets craving, and other perimenstrual symptoms were rated daily for six menstrual cycles by a sample of women with severe premenstrual synd rome (PMS). Forty-four women satisfied criteria for cyclicity in chocolate craving, and 44 for sweet craving, determined during the first two cycles. Thirty-four subjects satisfied criteria for craving of both chocolate and s weets. After placebo treatments during the third cycle, subjects were rando mly assigned, double blind, to administration of placebo, oral micronized p rogesterone, or alprazolam (a tranquillizer). Treatments were administered from the beginning of the third week to the second day postonset or: menstr uation during the fourth to sixth months of study. Neither progesterone nor alprazolam decreased chocolate or sweets craving. (C) 1999 Elsevier Scienc e Inc.