No wonder salty foods make us crave them. The human body needs salt (in the form of sodium) to survive.
Foto: Shutterstock
However, a frequent salt craving could indicate an underlying health condition. And yet, why do you crave salt?
Boredom
It’s not unusual to have an intense craving for a salty food when you’re bored. Research shows that eating certain foods when you’re bored can stimulate the brain’s reward center, causing dopamine levels to rise.
Boredom eating can be an emotional eating behavior, and for many people, the snacks of choice are salty, sugary, or a combination of the two.
Dehydration
Your body needs sodium as an electrolyte to function properly. Dehydration occurs when electrolyte levels are irregular. You may crave salt to compensate for this imbalance.
The same part of the brain that controls hunger controls your thirst. Some research suggests that your body may crave salty snacks when you need water.
Chronic stress
Experiencing stress causes the adrenal glands to release cortisol and other appetite-related hormones, which can trigger cravings for salty, fatty, or sugary foods.
Stressful situations can also lead to emotional eating to calm yourself down, so your favorite salty food can also become salty during times of chronic stress.
Lack of sleep
Sleep deprivation can make you more likely to reach for guilty pleasure foods. Research shows that insufficient sleep increases cravings for high-calorie foods, including salty, sweet, and salty foods.
When there is a lack of sleep, hormonal signals cause the “reward” part of the brain to “ask” for a salty snack.
Excessive sweating
People who sweat a lot, either from exercise or exposure to heat, may crave salty foods. This is the body’s response to rebalancing sodium electrolyte levels, which is essential for overall functioning. If this is the reason you crave salt, you may also have other symptoms such as thirst and fatigue.
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) refers to the physical and emotional signs that are present a week or two before menstruation. Changes in thirst and appetite, including cravings for salty foods, are common during this stage. The mild dehydration that can occur during PMS can contribute to this.
Migraine
If you have migraines, there is a set of symptoms that can occur in the period before a migraine attack starts. Research shows that during the prodrome stage, one of the symptoms is a craving for salty foods. This may be because eating salty foods could help alleviate withdrawal migraines.
Drugs
Certain medications that affect the adrenal glands (organs that make hormones for metabolism, the immune system, and more) can make you crave salty snacks. Some medications include:
· Tramadol
· Antifungal drugs
· Glucocorticoids
· Checkpoint inhibitors for immunotherapy
· Inhibitor de proteinkinase
Always check with a doctor if any medications you are taking may contribute to salt cravings.
Sodium deficiency
For people who are deficient in sodium, salt cravings may occur. This common electrolyte deficiency (hyponatremia) can trigger the brain to produce salt appetite signals. It can be triggered by a variety of causes, including diarrhea, vomiting, heart failure, taking diuretic medications, certain kidney diseases, and more.
What conditions could cause salt cravings? Regular salt cravings could also be a sign of a more serious health condition.
Boala Addison
Addison’s disease is a rare genetic condition that occurs when the adrenal glands do not produce enough cortisol. Without this hormone, the body can quickly lose sodium. Symptoms of Addison’s disease include salt cravings, fatigue, hyperpigmentation, and more.
Bartter syndrome
A rare genetic condition known as Bartter syndrome affects the kidneys’ ability to reabsorb salt and other electrolytes, causing these nutrients to be lost in the urine. This excessive loss of salt leads to an intense desire to consume salty foods and other symptoms such as dehydration, fatigue, cramps, weakness and brittle bones.
Cystic fibrosis
Another genetic disorder known as cystic fibrosis (CF) causes a thick buildup of mucus in the body’s organs. This prevents sodium from being transported through the body, interfering with growth and creating other problems.
People with CF may crave salty foods because they lose sodium easily. This disorder is usually diagnosed soon after birth.
Anemia
Some research suggests that iron-deficiency anemia (a condition that develops when the body doesn’t make enough iron to make red blood cells) can manifest itself with intense salt cravings.
Various causes can cause iron deficiency anemia to develop, including blood loss, kidney disease, certain health conditions, and genetics. If this is the reason behind your salt cravings, you may also experience symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, and cold hands and feet.
When to seek help
It’s not unusual to occasionally feel cravings for your favorite salty foods. Salt (in the form of sodium) is necessary for the body to function, so it’s not necessarily a bad thing to regularly consume too much sodium in the form of processed or junk food.
Tips to tame salt cravings
There are a variety of different flavors that can satisfy your salt cravings without adding too much sodium to your daily intake. When cooking, try replacing salt with other spices, such as garlic, herbs, black pepper, vinegar or lemon.
A suggestion for a salty (but healthy) homemade snack is to fry chickpeas in olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Canned foods such as tuna can be rinsed to remove some of the added sodium.
Source: Very
Well Health
2024-01-04 11:19:00
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