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. However, a frequent salt craving could indicate an underlying health condition.
This article discusses why you might be craving salt, what it could mean for your health, and what you can do about it.
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Why Am I Craving Salt?
Whether your salt cravings are occasional or frequent, you might be experiencing them for various reasons.
Boredom
It’s not unusual to have an intense urge for a salty comfort food when bored. Research shows reaching for certain foods when bored can stimulate the brain’s reward center, causing a rise in dopamine levels.
Eating out of boredom can be an emotional eating behavior or pattern, and for many people, the snacks of choice are salty, sugary, or a combination.
Dehydration
Your body needs sodium as an electrolyte to function properly. Dehydration happens when electrolyte levels are off-kilter. You may find yourself craving salt to make up for this imbalance.
The same part of the brain that controls hunger controls your thirst. Some research suggests that your body could be craving salty snacks when you actually need water.
Chronic Stress
Experiencing stress causes the adrenal glands to release cortisol and other appetite-related hormones, which can prompt salty, fatty, or sugary food cravings.
Stressful situations can also lead to emotional eating to soothe yourself, so your favorite salty food may also become a pattern in times of chronic stress.
Lack of Sleep
Sleep deprivation can make it more likely that you'll reach for guilty pleasure foods. Research shows that skimping on sleep increases cravings for higher-caloric foods, including salty, sweet, and savory ones.
When there's a lack of sleep, hormone signals prompt the "rewards" part of the brain to encourage reaching for a salty snack.
Excessive Sweating
People who sweat a lot, whether from exercise or exposure to heat, may crave salty foods. This is the body's response to rebalancing the levels of the electrolyte sodium, which is essential for overall function. If this is why you're craving salt, you may also experience other symptoms like thirst and fatigue.
PMS
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) refers to physical and emotional signs that are present the week or two before menstruation. Thirst and appetite changes, including cravings for salty foods, are common during this time. Mild dehydration that can happen during the PMS period may contribute to this.
Migraine
If you experience migraines, there are a set of symptoms that can occur during the period before a migraine attack begins. 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.
Medications
Certain medications that impact the adrenal glands (organs that produce hormones for metabolism, the immune system, and more) could leave you wanting salty snacks. Some medications include:
- Tramadol
- Antifungal medications
- Glucocorticoids
- Immunotherapy checkpoint inhibitors
- Protein kinase inhibitors
Always check with a healthcare provider before stopping any medication you suspect may contribute to a salt craving.
Sodium Deficiency
For people who are deficient in sodium, salt cravings could arise. This common electrolyte deficiency (hyponatremia) can trigger the brain to produce appetite signals for salt. 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?
Routinely craving salt could also be the sign of a more serious health condition.
Addison's Disease
Addison's disease is a rare genetic condition that happens when the adrenal glands don't 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 impacts the kidneys' ability to reabsorb salt and other electrolytes, which causes these nutrients to be lost through urination. This excessive salt loss leads to an intense desire to consume salty foods and other symptoms like dehydration, fatigue, cramping, weakness, and brittle bones.
Cystic Fibrosis
Another genetic disorder known as cystic fibrosis (CF) causes a thick mucus buildup in the body's organs. This prevents sodium from being transported through the body, interfering with growth and other issues.
People with CF may desire salty foods because they lose sodium easily. This disorder is usually diagnosed shortly after birth.
Anemia
Some research suggests that iron deficiency anemia (a condition that develops when the body doesn't produce enough iron to make red blood cells) may manifest with intense salt cravings.
Various causes can prompt 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 like fatigue, light-headedness, and cold hands and feet.
When to Seek Help
It's not uncommon to experience cravings for your favorite salty foods occasionally. Salt (in the form of sodium) is necessary for the body to function, so this isn't necessarily bad unless you're regularly consuming too much sodium in the form of processed or junk foods.
However, if you constantly fight urges for salty snacks over a longer period, it might be time to check with a healthcare provider. Take note if you're experiencing other unusual symptoms, which may indicate a health condition or eating disorder.
Tips to Tame Cravings Without Salt
There are a variety of different flavors that may satiate your salt craving without adding too much sodium to your daily intake. When cooking, try replacing salt with other seasonings, like garlic, herbs, black pepper, vinegar, or lemon.
One suggestion for a salty (but healthy) homemade snack is roasting chickpeas in olive oil and sprinkling them with salt. Canned items like tuna can be rinsed off to eliminate some of the added sodium.
If you're reaching for premade or packaged snacks, check nutritional labels for how much salt is included. Experts recommend that products with less than 140 milligrams (mg) of sodium per serving may be safe choices. Since the product's amount lists ingredients, consider avoiding foods that list salt near the top of the label.
Summary
It's normal to experience an occasional salt craving due to boredom, stress, or dehydration. Still, a routine craving for salty foods may indicate another underlying issue, like a medication side effect or another health condition. If swapping out alternatives to satisfy your salt cravings isn't cutting it, check with a healthcare provider to rule out other causes.
