Is there such a thing as a “salt tooth”? We often hear about having a sweet tooth and sugar cravings, along with the negative effects they have on our health. We are also aware that consuming too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, which puts strain on our blood vessels, heart, and kidneys. In fact, the British Heart Foundation concluded last year that reducing salt consumption to the recommended limit of 5g per day by 2030 could lead to significant reductions in new cases of high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and stroke, as well as improved overall health.
But salt is not typically seen as a luxury in our diets, even though a surprising 40% of people, according to a YouGov poll, would choose crisps over chocolate as a treat. We don’t usually monitor our salt intake as closely as we do with sugar, or question whether our cravings are a result of our bodies needing salt for basic muscle function or a compulsion we can’t resist.
Unlike a sweet tooth, a salt tooth doesn’t create an appetite at the hormonal level. Sugar can have a documented impact on blood glucose, making us want more sugar. If salt does stimulate an appetite, it would be for lager. However, salt does make our taste buds acclimatize, so the more we consume, the more we need to satisfy that salty craving. This explains why chefs sometimes use excessive amounts of salt in their dishes.
In the realm of food manufacturing, salt plays an incredibly useful role in enhancing palatability and preserving food. As a result, it’s not surprising to find high levels of salt in most processed foods, especially those with cheap ingredients that need to be masked. This creates a cycle between manufacturers and chains, as Henry Dimbleby, the food campaigner and co-founder of Leon, explains: “We can develop palates that become sensitized to salt, so there’s a tendency to add more. I’ve had people complain that removing salt from their pizza caused customers to switch to a saltier competitor. Additionally, if a dish contains significant amounts of vegetables or meat, the perceived saltiness can decrease over time as the salt moves into the meat or vegetables, where it has less impact on our taste buds.”
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