Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : August 24, 2018 8:47 PM IST
It is very common, some people crave salty stuff and some people cannot do without sweets. While it is one thing to have food preferences but there is a science behind this peculiar bias of tastes. Here we will unravel the science behind it.
What causes salt cravings?
The reasons could be many but salt cravings also indicate that you are a deficit in this essential mineral. So when your body doesn t have enough salt it starts to crave of it. This could be dangerous for you as lack of salt could make the electrolyte balance go haywire. When one is a deficit in salt the best thing they do is indulge in salty snacks and nuts. Most people think that going overboard with salt isn t as harmful as going overboard with sugar. This is a myth, salt can do grave damage to your health, especially the one that comes from processed foods. One way to control this salt craving is to keep a tab on what you eat. You might not realise this but your food habits are responsible for your salt cravings. Drinking just four cups of coffee can rob you of at least one teaspoon of salt. Many common medications, such as diuretics, anti-diabetic medications, antipsychotics, anti-seizure medications, and even antidepressants can cause salt loss or low sodium levels in the blood. Another reason could be being out in the heat which might suck of salt from your blood through perspiration. Numerous health conditions such as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), certain kidney diseases (salt-wasting nephropathies), hypothyroidism, and adrenal or cortisol insufficiency can also lead to salt loss and increased salt cravings.
Regardless, in most cases, those salt cravings are trying to bring your body's salt status back to optimal levels. So we aren t telling you to suppress your cravings. If you're craving salt, try to consume it regularly, in a healthful way, that adequate amount of salt in your food that will help to maintain the salt balance and reduce cravings. If you are having salt through home-cooked meals chances of going overboard with salt are less and you will consume it in a healthy way.
What causes sugar cravings?
Unlike salt, your body doesn t crave sugar for any kind of deficit, it craves because your body and brain have become dependent on this white poison. If you are someone who has been abusing the body with high sugar foods, your body can become insulin resistant, which means the cells that receive insulin are blocked, making it harder for your body to process sugar. This creates a high insulin level in the blood which blocks energy from fats and proteins and your body depends on glucose instead. In other words, overeating sugar can keep your body dependent on its continual intake.
However, after you consume large amounts of sugar, your blood sugar can drop too low signalling the brain to crave for more sugar. This keeps you in a vicious cycle of sugar dependence. One strategy to get off the sugar roller coaster is instead of going for that chocolate chip cookie, grab some dark chocolate (70 to 85 per cent cocoa) with some protein- and healthy-fat-rich nuts, which can provide satisfaction and satiation at the same time. Sure, it's easier said than done, but slowly lowering your intake of processed sugars and refined carbohydrates can help fix insulin resistance.
So, remember both salt and sugar in excess can be dangerous for your health and you need to know how to take it in moderation.
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