Salt – Hunger and Our Journey. - Group Talk - Week Commencing 25th August 2025.
- friendsonajourney2
- Sep 3
- 3 min read
The question was asked last week: 'Why, when I eat a couple of salted peanuts at the bar out of a friend's bag, do I want my own bag?'.
Hunger and excess sodium are closely related; we are going to investigate how eating more than you actually need might result from the addictive taste of salt and other physical impacts.
Most people have a strong association between thirst and salt. In general, we know that the more water we need to stay hydrated. This widely accepted opinion is supported by some science. We must drink extra water to restore the body's delicate sodium/fluid balance when we eat salty foods.
But the story isn't only about thirst. Consuming food high in sodium can also cause cravings for salt and a marked increase in appetite; the more we desire, the stronger are the links between salt and overeating, and the more we need to find a fulfilling, healthy balance.
Seasoned or plain fries? The first choice is likely to be selected by the majority. The taste of salt is just irresistible to humans, and it also has the added advantage of enhancing good flavours and reducing bad ones. Because its two constituents, sodium and chloride, are necessary nutrients that our bodies are unable to create on their own and must obtain through diet, salt was also scarce as humans evolved.
Our brains have been trained for millennia to store salt wherever it is accessible because it is hard to find in nature. We are all still nomads in our deepest cells, inhabiting bodies that view salt as a scarce resource even though it is present in practically every canned or packaged item, on grocery store shelves, and on dining tables.
Naturally, we eat salt because we like the way it tastes, but we also do it to feed our innate hoarding tendencies. Therefore, we add a little salt and then a bit more without thinking. And we have to pour that salt on something, so we snap another bag or plate another portion. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that a 2014 study discovered that those who consume the most salt also frequently consume the most food.
Salt and overeating are linked to more than just a taste preference and genetic hardwiring. Additionally, salty meals don't satisfy our hunger to reach satiety, so we have to eat more to feel satisfied. For instance, around 61% of the sodium in a typical UK diet comes from processed foods. Popular favourites like chocolate bars, fried chicken and crisps are among the worst offenders, which are referred to as Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs). Because they only partially satisfy hunger, these foods often leave us wanting 'just one more'. Ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates appetite, is raised by the other half. As a result, you are getting hungrier as you eat, which causes you to consume more food more quickly. Because processed foods, such as crisps, are frequently formed from mash and cooked in oil, they are nearly gone as soon as they enter your mouth, which contributes to this accelerated feeding pace. Sadly the salt they contain remains in the body for a much longer period of time.
In times of sadness or depression, foods heavy in salt might provide solace. Salt influences feelings of motivation, reward, and mood by sending messages to the brain, according to a study. According to another study, sodium also causes neurones to fire, which increases our desire to consume more.
The study also highlights another crucial factor. After consumption, the body takes some time to absorb sodium completely. The fact that the consequences take time to manifest is another reason why people might continue to consume more salty foods.
Regretfully, UPFs are linked to depression as well. Adults who consumed the most UPFs had a 33% higher risk of developing depression than those who consumed them infrequently, according to a ten-year study.
Regardless of the actual calorie content of the food, eating salty UPFs causes weight gain, and as your weight increases, you need more food to fuel that larger body, which leads to even more overeating, and so on. As you are probably aware, UPF, and processed food in general, is higher in sugar, fat and refined carbohydrates than fresh foods. As a result, a diet primarily consisting of processed foods can result in consuming hundreds of extra calories per day. The main lesson here is that controlling the connection between salt, overeating, and weight gain requires a knowledge of sodium.
Important lessons learnt:
Salt can reduce fat's ability to make us feel full, which increases desire.
Salt improves flavour, which can make meals more appealing and encourage overeating.
Eating too many salty meals can result in weight gain and obesity.
Processed foods and UPFs add to that 'just one more' feeling.
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