When we looked into food cravings during menstrual periods, we weren’t able to find any scientific cause. Premenstrual gluttony (lovely term, we know), on the other hand, has an explanation.

Imagine the cycle divided in half, with the time of ovulation being the midpoint. The first half is called the follicular phase and the second half, the luteal. Studies in baboons, Rhesus monkeys, and pigtail monkeys have shown increased food intake in the premenstrual period, or the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. In humans, food intake has also been observed to be highest in the luteal phase. It is not entirely clear why this happens, but researchers think it has to do with changes in serotonin levels during the menstrual cycle that make you crave more food.