Health · Fitness & Nutrition · 2 hrs ago
Wanting sweets after dinner does not by itself signal diabetes, nutritionists say
A sweet craving after dinner does not by itself signal diabetes or mean the body lacks sugar, nutritionists say.
It may come from hedonic hunger, the desire for food that is enjoyable even when someone feels full.
Sugary and fatty foods can activate the brain’s reward system, and a long-standing dessert habit can prompt the craving when dinner ends.
Hunger may also reflect too little food during the day or a dinner that was not filling enough.
Nutritionists suggest adding protein, such as eggs, chicken or legumes, and say protein and fibre help with fullness.
Rice or potatoes may also be added, depending on individual needs.
An occasional dessert is not, on its own, a metabolic problem, and craving sweets is not enough to diagnose insulin resistance or diabetes.
Nutritionists say wanting something sweet after dinner does not, by itself, indicate diabetes or a lack of sugar.
The desire can stem from pleasure, learned habits, hunger, or a combination of factors.
Sugary and fatty foods may activate reward circuits in the brain involving dopamine.
Eating too little protein or fiber during the day may contribute to hunger before bedtime.
Nutritionists say an occasional dessert is not, on its own, evidence of a metabolic problem.
- Who
- Nutritionists Marianela Aguirre Ackermann and Martín Giannini explained the behavior.
- What
- Wanting sweets after dinner does not by itself mean someone has diabetes or lacks sugar.
- When
- After dinner, often before bedtime.
- Where
- The article discusses the habit generally; no specific location is stated.
- Why
- Possible reasons include pleasure, learned habits, hunger, and what a person ate during the day.
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- Experts
- Marianela Aguirre Ackermann and Martín Giannini
- Outlet
- Infobae
- Publication
- 2026-11-14 21:45 UTC
- Possible causes
- Pleasure, learned habits, hunger, or a combination of factors
What people are saying
Wanting something sweet after dinner is not necessarily a problem. The challenge is understanding why it happens.
We can feel that we have eaten enough and still want a particular food.
Sometimes it is a combination of everything: hunger, habit and wanting something tasty.