What Your Salt Craving Means

June 25, 2011

 

Sometimes the urge to nosh on a salty snack is overwhelming. Pretzels flecked with salt, or greasy potato chips that leave salt on your fingers so you can lick it off at the end, all salty snacks seem so tempting. But why do we specifically crave salt from time to time?

You're probably not low on sodium. With all of the processed foods we eat, salt is in almost everything we eat. Pregnancy, an electrolyte imbalance or a deficiency of another mineral could be the culprit.

Most likely, though, you're dehydrated. 75 percent of Americans suffer from chronic dehydration. Salt helps the body hold on to water, and so  our bodies crave it when we're thirsty.

>>10 Hydrating Foods for Summer 

So the next time you have an urge to grab those chips, try a glass of water and see if your craving goes away. 

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