Does salt cause thirst? It's really not all that certain

[Panich52]

Does salt cause thirst? It's really not all that certain

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/strange_science/~3/5XBIwKtBVcA/150716092019.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email

Conventional wisdom contends that the consumption of salt makes us thirsty and therefore leads to increased drinking to restore the balance of minerals in the body. However, no correlation was found between salt intake and an increased sense of thirst or more drinking of water, researchers report at the conclusion of their study.

[Warpy]

1. It might in some people

Every time my mother ate ham, she'd spend the rest of the night "drowning the pig."

It was most likely a combination of high salt plus dehydration.

In well hydrated people, the body will just eliminate the extra sodium.

[murielm99]

4. Pizza does it for me.

I drink water all night if I eat pizza.

I drink plenty of water the rest of the time, but pizza must do something to upset my balance. I don't eat pizza often!

[JayhawkSD]

2. Thirst is a very poor barometer of hydration.

It is quite common to find hikers in the desert, dead of dehydration with a full canteen of water on their belt. They waited until they felt thirsty to drink water and, never feeling thirsty, died of thirst. That mechanism is not really well understood, but the sensation of thirst is a tricky business.

[SwissTony]

5. Very true.

I've noticed sometimes if I've been walking or working, I don't feel thirsty but decide to just have a sip. When the first drop of water hits my mouth, I suddenly HAVE to drink a whole lot more.

When I'm out bushwalking or any kind of walking under a hot sun, I always have a drinking schedule so that I don't go for hours without drinking, even if I don't feel like it.

[merrily]

3. I don't know about y'all, but eating a bag of chips causes thirst in me.

Thirst will even wake me during that night, sometimes twice. Luckily, Cape Cod Waffle Chips with salt and vinegar are worth it.