The Reasons Behind Salt Cravings

There are many different causes of salt cravings, some of which can point to serious illnesses that will require treatment by a physician. Other salt cravings are due to minor issues such as environmental stresses, the amount of exercise the individual does, and the amount of salty foods that he consumes in an average day. There are certain people who seem to be less affected by salt intake, and this seems to be due to the way the individual oxidizes the food intake. There are some individuals who seem to consume a lot of salt in their diet but do not have trouble with high blood pressure while others seem to have little salt in the diet and have high blood pressure. Salt intake depends on the individual's needs and activity level.

Causes

One of the most common reasons behind a salt craving is that the individual is under a lot of stress and the adrenal gland is working overtime. When there is an insufficiency in the adrenal gland, the amount of the moderating hormone aldosterone is not produced in adequate portions to moderate the blood of its sodium levels. When there are low aldosterone levels, the body will get rid of the sodium in the bloodstream leaving the individual with a salt craving. The only real way to correct this problem is to reduce the stress and to eat wisely so as to strengthen the adrenal glands. While the salt cravings are occurring, eating sea salt is a better choice than eating processed salt since it more easily replaces the sodium in addition to giving the body the trace minerals that are processed out of the refined salt.

When there is a low salt level in the body, the person can feel very fatigued and their blood pressure is usually low as well. In addition to satisfying the salt craving, the individual can work to build up the adrenal gland by eating protein filled foods that are low in fat at least two to three times per day. In addition, there are certain supplements that can be taken to help the retention of salt such as manganese, vitamin B-1, B-5, C or E. When these vitamins or supplements are taken, the body can more easily retain the salt levels while the adrenal gland becomes healthier so that the salt cravings are not as strong and the individual feels like he has more energy for day to day activities.

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