I’m sure everyone’s heard how salty foods make you thirstier, right? Well, a longterm study about sodium intake that took place in Germany, has scientists questioning that. As
it turns out, increased sodium intake does not increase one’s thirst nor does it make one urinate more. But, researchers have found that intake of too much salt makes the body work harder to balance bodily fluids therefore increasing hunger, not thirst ( https://www.jci.org/articles/view/88530 ). Basically, longterm higher salt intakes increase hunger and reduce thirst ( Science News article ).
So, in an era where people are dining out more and more, sometimes three or more times a day, can you see how this information is significant? Most restaurants over-season their food to make it as tasty as possible for their diners. I mean, who can blame them, right? The tastier the food the more chances that people will keep coming back for more. But, now that salty food is being shown to increase hunger, do you see how this could be a reason why people are so overweight and always hungry?
According to the CDC, adults on average eat more than 3,400 mg daily when the FDA recommends an upper limit amount of 2,300 mg daily (CDC Salt Intakes) . Folks, even that much is too much. Not only does high intake of salt mess with our caloric intakes but it has been linked to diseases like heart disease, osteoporosis, inflammatory diseases, asthma, and the list goes on.
Ease up on the salt and give your tastebuds time to adjust. When they do, you’ll love actually tasting your food!
After Thought: Consider using other herbs to flavor your food. A great alternative to salt are kelp flakes or nutritional yeast (preferably nonfortified). Get creative! Read those labels and talk to servers at the restaurants you go to about getting something with low salt if you have to eat out. Remember, you’re the paying customer.
Hart Health 