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- You’re dehydrated. Dehydration is a fairly common reason for many kinds of food cravings, including salt. Greunke explains that dehydration-related salt cravings can pop up for various reasons: There’s the obvious—like maybe you’re not drinking enough fluids, but there are also less obvious reasons, such as if you’re dealing with a stomach bug or some other illness that’s causing you to vomit.
- You’ve been working out intensely. As you sweat, the amount of salt in your body gradually depletes. So, a challenging spin class or run that has you dripping with sweat can decrease the salt level in your body to a point where it needs to be replenished.
- You’re under a lot of stress. When you’re under a lot of pressure, your body doesn’t just react mentally and emotionally, but physically too, and this can include cravings for salty foods, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
- You’re dealing with an underlying health condition. Salt cravings are common in life and often don’t signal anything too serious going on in your body, but certain medical conditions can leave you with more salt cravings than usual.
- Overview
- Why am I craving salt?
- Seeking help
- What to expect at your doctor’s appointment
- Tips for taming salt cravings without the salt
- Frequently asked questions
- Takeaway
Our body needs salt for survival, but many foods we eat contain more salt than we actually need. Craving salt can be a symptom of an underlying health condition.
Over the course of history, finding salt was hard, so craving salt was a survival mechanism. Now that salt is readily available and often added to many processed foods, many people consume too much.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the body needs no more than 500 milligrams (mg) of sodium daily for optimal functioning. That’s less than one-fourth of a teaspoon (tsp).
But because most people take in close to 3,400 mg each day, the AHA recommends that adults reduce their consumption to no more than 1,500-2,300 mg of salt daily.
There are different reasons why you might crave salt, and some can indicate a problem with your health.
Salt has a bad reputation in the nutrition world. Too much salt can be unhealthy — even deadly — but too little salt can also be dangerous. Salt is necessary for many bodily functions, including controlling muscles and maintaining fluid balance.
Craving chips or popcorn from time to time isn’t unusual, but if you find yourself constantly seeking salt, you may be experiencing a symptom of a more severe problem.
So, don’t hesitate to make an appointment to discuss your symptoms with your doctor. While the salt craving may be nothing serious, it could also be the first sign of a problem that needs medical attention.
Getting to a diagnosis relies on understanding the other symptoms you’re experiencing. To prepare for your doctor’s appointment, make a symptom journal. Record anything you’re experiencing outside the norm for you and your body. No symptom is too small.
When you talk with your doctor, present this journal. Having this record may help direct your doctor toward a specific diagnosis. It can also help them narrow down the types of tests they’d like to order to reach a diagnosis.
Salt is everywhere and in everything. In fact, an estimated 70% of your salt intake each day comes from processed foods and restaurant dishes.
Convenience foods like bread, sauces, cereals, and canned vegetables may contain unnecessary sodium. A single fast-food meal can contain more than a day’s worth of sodium. Without picking up a salt shaker, you’re possibly taking in significantly more salt than you realize.
What is the most important reason my body craves salt?
There are many reasons you may crave salt. One reason can be dehydration. Try drinking water or electrolyte solutions to give your body fluids and minerals after diarrhea, vomiting, fever, or exercise.
What should I eat if I crave salt?
Try to eat snacks or meals that combine fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, lean meats, or plant-based protein sources. Eating sweet fruit like apples with savory vegetables like roasted peppers can enhance natural salty flavors without the added salt. Crunchy vegetables, black-pepper popcorn, and dips such as hummus or sun-dried tomato spread can give texture, crunch, and varied flavors that satisfy. Drinking water to stay hydrated helps bring out the natural flavors of foods.
Unusual cravings for salt and other signs and symptoms could indicate you’re dealing with more than just a liking for popcorn and potato chips. Instead, you may show signs of another, possibly serious, condition.
If you crave salt and begin showing severe signs of dehydration, seek emergency medical attention. Serious complications, including kidney failure, seizures, coma, and possibly death, can occur when severe dehydration is not treated immediately.
Dec 22, 2023 · It's no surprise salty foods are a common craving. The human body needs salt (in the form of sodium ) to survive. Most people in the United States already consume more than enough added sodium , mostly from processed and restaurant foods.
- Cristina Mutchler
Dec 15, 2020 · Czerwony lists six possible reasons why you may have salt on the brain: 1. Stress. Stress eating has everything to do with hormone levels. When your body is under stress, it releases cortisol and ...
- Dehydration or Overhydration. Sodium is a vital mineral and electrolyte found in your body’s fluids that helps to control how much water goes in and out of cells (among many other things).
- Intense Exercise. Along the same lines, intense exercise with excessive sweating can cause you to crave salt because you have lost electrolytes through perspiration.
- Chronic Stress. Perhaps surprisingly, being chronically stressed can cause salt cravings. Although researchers aren’t entirely sure what causes this, some speculate that eating salt stimulates your hypothalamus to release dopamine, a “pleasure” neurotransmitter.
- Being Tired. Not getting enough sleep—especially night after night—is known to weaken your resolve to eat healthy. Studies show that people who undersleep are more likely to eat high-salt, high-fat, and high-sugar foods than those who are well-rested.
May 9, 2024 · A person may crave salt — or salty foods such as chips, popcorn, or fries — due to boredom or stress. ... including cravings for certain foods, are a common symptom. These cravings may be ...
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Mar 20, 2019 · 4. Excess sweating. Dr. Shah says there's also a connection between salt and sweating, because sweat contains salt and when someone sweats, their sodium levels decrease. In this case, she says ...
