---
title: Do women's food preferences change during their menstrual cycle?
description: Yes. Women ate and preferred sweet foods significantly more during their premenstrual period, but preferences for other foods did not change. This is a small
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/variations-in-food-preference-and-consumption-across-the-menstrual-cycle-1990/
---

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- Do women's food preferences change during their menstrual cycle?

Survey study, 1990

# Do women's food preferences change during their menstrual cycle?

Yes. Women ate and preferred sweet foods significantly more during their premenstrual period, but preferences for other foods did not change. This is a small study without a control group.

 Early or limited evidence

Women in a laboratory setting (sample size not stated)

## What they did

This was a laboratory study. Women ate everyday foods and rated them on taste scales. Researchers weighed food before and after to measure how much was eaten. Women completed questionnaires about mood and eating habits, and researchers measured their height and weight.

## What they found

Sweet food consumption and preference were significantly higher during the premenstrual period. Other foods showed no changes across the cycle. Mood, obesity, and eating restraint patterns did not differ across the cycle. Lower food restraint was associated with fewer menstrual symptoms and better mood.

## What it means for you

Cravings for sweets before your period may be real and caused by hormones. The study cannot prove cause and effect because there was no control group, the sample size is not stated, and some findings relied on self-report.

## About the study

Original title Variations in food preference and consumption across the menstrual cycle Authors Bowen DJ, Grunberg NE Journal Physiology & behavior Year 1990 Study design Survey study What was tested None Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/0031-9384(90)90144-s](https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9384(90)90144-s)

## Topics

[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)

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