[that mad man (OP)]

I have just been to see my daughter-in-law who will be presenting me with a grandson in around 6 weeks time.  []

She has food cravings and was munching on; Pickled gherkins, celery and beetroot to be followed by strawberry ice cream. I remember when the missus was pregnant that she seemed to like almost the same foods, pickled beetroot in particular and also strawberry jam, condensed milk sandwiches as well! Some strange combinations of food.

Did anyone here have them while pregnant and what was the craving for?

Does the body naturally produce the cravings to make up for any deficiency in minerals etc?

Do they know what causes the food cravings as it seems to be common at some stage in a woman's pregnancy?

It all seems a wonderful mystery to me.

[JnA]

There *might* be a suggestion that it is a way of making up for deficiencies, but some women get incredibly bizarre non food cravings (a from of Pica) for things like coal, rocks, mud etc. This leave me sceptical that it is entirely biological. I think, in the case of food cravings, that a comfort thing factor might be involved.
One thing to consider is that pregnancy heightens ones sense of smell. Smell plays a big role in taste, so maybe a pregnant woman is just eating things that she smells first or strongest.. 

My first pregnancy I craved hot chips... my second I had no cravings that I can recall.

[that mad man (OP)]

Thanks JnA.

I didn't know that pregnancy heightens ones sense of smell so the effect on taste makes sense.

[Make it Lady]

The coal, rocks and mud thing is not as odd as it seems. Minerals are required to grow a baby so if your body isn't getting enough it will crave it. Animals will often lick rocks in order to get their minerals.

My sense of smell changed so that the smell of a fatty grill pan would repulse me when I normally love a fry up and coffee and wine also became bad smells. I think my body was telling me that whilst baby is on board these are no-nos.

My favourite food/drink was honey in warm milk. Couldn't drink it now. 

[OldDragon]

When pregnant, I couldn't stomach the smell of fried food, especially frying fish, and felt very sick if I tried to drink a cup of coffee. Craved lettuce, and prawns in cocktail sauce, though.

Some years later, and after returning to coffee drinking, I suddenly experienced a similar revulsion of it. Oddly enough, it turned out that I was suffering from a massive fibroid that resulted in me needing an emergency hysterectomy.

As for mud, coal and the likes; when breeding native ponies, the mares often licked particular areas of mud around tree roots, and also coal when out for walks on the old coal tip next to my land. They also favoured eating plants such as blackberry leaves and other tree leaves. Nature seems to have a way of indicating to animals what they may be lacking on the vitamin and mineral front - and humans are, of course, animals too.

[that mad man (OP)]

Gawd, thanks OldDragon!
I used to eat coal when I was young or so me ma would say, or maybe I would just lick it.

What I was wondering is, if there is, or has been any studies on this because I find it fascinating.

We all seem to get food cravings at sometime and it seems animals do as well.

I remember my dog picking out a particular type of grass when she needed it, it usually made her sick but that was OK as she seemed to need it so I never stopped her from seeking it.

Maybe there is some subliminal work at play here somewhere!
 

[JnA]

The coal, rocks and mud thing is not as odd as it seems. Minerals are required to grow a baby so if your body isn't getting enough it will crave it. Animals will often lick rocks in order to get their minerals.

true, I don't deny a need for extra minerals, but to my mind we (at least in the western world) have many substitutes for these things in the form of actual food or supplements. I think pica like tendencies stretch to a psychological origin.