subject: Why Do I Crave Salt? 3 Typical Causes [print this page] Why Do I Crave Salt? 3 Typical Causes Why Do I Crave Salt? 3 Typical Causes
We all know that salt is bad for you, so, you may ask yourself 'why do I crave salt?' Although salt (or sodium) occurs naturally in almost everything that we eat, some people may find that they still feel like they want to top up their levels. However, it is quite rare for someone to actually be lacking in enough salt. So, why do I crave salt? There are quite a few reasons for this.
You've become accustomed to high salt foods
If you have always eaten salty foods, anything with no or only a little amount will not taste very nice. You will need to wean yourself off of the taste, and may need to do it gradually. Remember that food labelled 'low in sodium' only have a reduced level, they are not free from it. Don't add any extra to your food, and although this may take some getting used to, eventually your taste buds will become accustomed to the flavour.
Excessive sweating
When you sweat you lose salt and electrolytes from your body. If the weather is unusually hot, or you are being more active than usual, then you may get a craving. However, unless you really are sweating extensively, a normal and healthy diet will contain more than enough to get your levels back to normal
Use of diuretics
The use of these can lead to a salt deficiency. This can bring about all sorts of symptoms, including muscle cramps, palpitations, confusion, dehydration, flatulence, nausea and vomiting, weight loss, seizures and recurrent infections. If you use diuretics for another medical problem, your doctor should advise you if you need to keep an eye on your salt intake.
There are other reasons for this type of craving but these are some of the most common. Many people who suffer from exhaustion will also crave salt as the adrenals will cause this demand. So if you're always craving salt you may in fact have adrenal fatigue! If you can't work out the reason yourself, you may need to speak to your doctor about your problem - why do I crave salt?
