What Is Salt Tooth? Why Does It Increase the Risk of High Blood Pressure, Heart Attack, Stroke?

Many people love sweets, but some prefer salty foods. If those who love sweets have a sweet tooth, the latter have a salt tooth.

What Is a Salt Tooth?

Are you constantly craving chips? Do you prefer fries over cakes? If you do, then you have a "salt tooth."

A salt tooth is real; it's basically similar to having a "sweet tooth," only that those with a "salt tooth" prefer salty foods.

This may be related to our sense of taste, according to researchers. A 2010 study claimed that "supertasters" are persons who have certain taste receptor genes that make them more sensitive to sensations, including bitterness, saltiness, and sweetness, according to Hello Giggles.

Supertasters have delicate palates, but salty food does not overpower them. They have a stronger liking for salty snacks than their average-tasting friends, which could be problematic.

However, overconsumption of salt can be unhealthy.

Why Too Much Salt Consumption Is Unhealthy?

According to Clare Thornton-Wood, a nutritionist in Guildford, almost all processed meals have high salt content to make them taste more appetizing, which might gradually build our craving for saltier foods without realizing it.

Indulging your salt craving raises your chances of high blood pressure, a heart attack, and a stroke, whatever the underlying cause. But while the majority of us are aware of the dangers of consuming too much sugar, a recent poll for the British Heart Foundation found that 75% of people don't closely monitor their sodium intake, which is the primary component of salt, Daily Mail reported.

Yes, our bodies require some salt. For neurons and muscle cells, including the heart, to function properly, our body fluids must maintain the proper level of salt.

But the body retains water when it consumes too much salt. This raises blood pressure, which strains the heart, the kidneys, and the blood vessels.

In the UK, about 15 million adults have high blood pressure.

Too much salt can cause edema, especially in the extremities like the fingers and ankles, where the extra fluid tends to congeal.

Some people may find it harder than others to try and cut back on their salt use. Researchers at Edinburgh University discovered 2016 that a critical gene that had previously been connected to high blood pressure also looked to be in charge of our propensity for salt.

When the researchers eliminated the HSD11B2 gene from mice, the animals developed a high desire for salt. They discovered that people with reduced HSD11B2 gene activity had a stronger appetite for salt.

As the study's principal investigator and kidney expert, Professor Matthew Bailey, asserts, "Salt is an essential mineral for life." But because it used to be hard to find, animals have developed genetic pathways that cause us to seek it, like eating it and hanging onto it.

In a previous report from Science Times, FDA is considering allowing flavor enhancers and food additives like monosodium glutamate (MSG) to reduce the amount of sodium in the food we consume. World Health Organization (WHO) also warned about too much salt consumption to save 7 million people from too much sodium intake.

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