Scientists: women's cravings for alcohol increase during ovulation

The study was conducted by a team from the University of Kentucky and the results were presented at the annual conference of the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Sixty-one young women participated in the study. For several weeks, they reported the amount of alcohol they drank each day, had their saliva analysed for hormone analysis and underwent urine-based ovulation tests.

The authors believe that the key changes occur in the so-called late follicular phase, which is the few days before ovulation when estrogen levels are at their highest and progesterone levels are extremely low. It was during this period that women reported a stronger desire to drink and were more likely to drink alcohol.

"Elevated estrogen levels can increase dopamine activity in the brain - this is linked to feelings of pleasure and habit formation," explains one of the study's authors.

This may make alcohol particularly appealing precisely at a time when the body is physiologically predisposed to stimulate the reward system.

The role of hormones in mood swings in women has been discussed previously, but this study is the first to directly link a specific phase of the cycle to the risks of alcohol abuse.

The authors believe that being aware of "risky days" could help women take precautions in advance.

"If women knew which periods of the cycle increase the desire to drink, they could consciously avoid provoking situations and control their behaviour," the researcher notes.

In addition, it is hoped that drugs that stabilise hormones could be used in the future in the treatment of alcohol dependence in women.

The authors emphasise that these are preliminary data, and further studies with a larger sample are needed to confirm the findings and clarify the mechanisms of influence.