Here's why you've been craving salty foods  

Craving salty foods might occasionally be linked to a medical issue. In many circumstances, severe, uncontrollable urges for specific foods that are stronger than regular hunger may be symptoms of nutritional inadequacies.

Salt cravings are widespread and are often caused by reasons such as stress or boredom. Cravings for chips, popcorn, and fries are among the top choices when people are craving salty foods.

Our bodies are continuously attempting to maintain a state of homeostasis, or “normal” functioning. We have physical cues, such as hunger, to warn our bodies that we must consume food and maintain the amount of energy required to stay at this level.

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Reasons for craving salty foods

A salt craving is an intense urge to eat foods that are salty. Salt cravings can occur due to a variety of factors, including behavioral habits, noncancerous processes in the body such as being pregnant, and clinical disorders.

1) Dehydration

Salt cravings are usually triggered by dehydration, which may be due to illnesses, intense activity, and diuretic drugs, among other things.

This is because if you sweat excessively or do not drink enough fluids, the amount of sodium in your body may drop, resulting in you craving salt foods.

Benefits of understanding causes behind craving salty craving foods (image sourced via Pexels / Photo by PixaBay)

2) Stress

Increased stress frequently causes people to seek out their preferred comfort foods as a way to feel better—for the majority of individuals, this includes foods heavy in sugar, fat, or salt.

Furthermore, studies have revealed that stress raises ghrelin in the human body, a hormone that's associated with hunger, making your favourite foods even more difficult to avoid.

Reasons behind craving salty food (image sourced via Pexels / Photo by gerd)

3) You're bored

Long working hours or binge watching seasons after seasons of television shows eventually leads to a state of boredom.

We've all gotten up from our bed around midnight and took a long hard look at the fridge, hoping to find something to nibble on and satisfy those cravings.

Boredom as a reason for craving salty foods (image sourced via Pexels / Photo by andrea)

However, this may not always be due to hunger, more often than not - you might realise. Boredom eating is an anxious eating behaviour akin to stress eating.

5) Excessive sweating

Sweating naturally lowers sodium levels in your body since perspiration contains salt.

Excessive physical activity or hot weather causes the body to sweat more, which means you lose this salt through perspiration even faster, often leading in salt cravings while your body attempts to adjust sodium levels.

Sweating as as a reason for craving salty foods (image sourced via Pexels / Photo by Ron)

5) You have Addison's disease

Addison's disease is a condition in which the adrenal glands fail to produce sufficient of certain hormones, including cortisol (also known as the stress hormone).

This can result in you craving salty foods more than usual. With this medical condition, you may require a high-sodium diet. A health care specialist can advise you on the optimum salt sources and dosage for your condition.

Craving salty foods (image sourced via Pexels / Photo by Karolina)

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What vitamin deficiency leads to you craving salty food?

Some individuals believe a food craving indicates a deficiency in something in the body, although this is generally not the case. Most desires are associated with unhealthy foods that provide little or no nutrients.

Magnesium and calcium

Low amounts of these two minerals, which typically go together, predispose you to salt and sugar cravings.

Low magnesium levels, in particular, have been linked to chocolate cravings. Stress and sugar consumption can both deplete your magnesium and calcium stores, exacerbating urges and making you an obvious anxiety-eating candidate.

Reasons for salt cravings (image sourced via Pexels / Photo by Nester)

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Salt cravings are frequently food cravings caused by stress, exhaustion, boredom, or PMS. However, persistent salt cravings may represent a sign of some medical issues.

If there is no evident cause for salt cravings, or if indicators of risk for kidney or adrenal disorders are present, a person should consult their doctor.