Why do You Have Salt Cravings at Night? – Dr.Berg

I explain why you get salt cravings, especially at night.

Timestamps:
0:00 Why do you get salt cravings at night
0:55 The World Health Organization recommends we lower our salt intake
3:23 Your body has a hormone with one purpose: to retain sodium because it’s so important

If you crave salty foods like popcorn, peanuts, or chips, especially at night, this video is for you. I believe it’s because you’re deficient in sodium. But why would you crave those junk foods and not just regular salt? It’s like when a pregnant woman craves ice cream, or how some people crave dirt. They may be deficient in calcium, or iron. Apparently when you’re deficient your body will initiate a craving for that particular mineral or nutrient you’re missing.

The World Health Organization (WHO) advises people to lower their salt intake to the equivalent of about one teaspoon per day. Most Americans consume one thousand times more than that! It’s coming from foods with hidden salts like refined carbs, bread, and deli meats, and not from the salt shaker.

But maybe it’s not the salt but the other ingredients in these foods. Before refrigeration, we salted foods to preserve them and the risk of heart attacks and high blood pressure was lower than now.

If you look at it logically, you add more salt, have more fluid, have higher blood pressure, have more heart attacks, right? But check out the links below to some studies I recommend you read. If you go on a low salt diet your risk of stroke, heart problems, and insulin resistance actually increases. Another study shows that when you increase sodium in your diet your risk of these conditions plummets. Why? Because people increasing their sodium were also increasing their potassium. Potassium protects your heart.

The focus is on a low salt diet but hardly any emphasis on increasing potassium or, more importantly, removing refined carbs from the diet. In other words, to consume salt-free refined carbohydrates

Your body has a hormone called aldosterone, which has one purpose: to hold sodium. Without sodium your nerves can’t conduct nerve impulses, your muscles can’t contract, and your fluids would be out of balance. You wouldn’t be able to transport calcium and other nutrients. A low salt diet triggers aldosterone, which has a cascade effect on your body. The side effects of not enough sodium are worse than having too much.

The combination of a salt-free diet, diuretics, and drinking a lot of water is dangerous for your heart. When you’re on a ketogenic diet you need more salt. Add it back in. Consume one to one and one/half teaspoons per day of sea salt. Increase your vegetable intake. This should banish your salt cravings.

Dr. Eric Berg DC Bio:
Dr. Berg, age 56, is a chiropractor who specializes in Healthy Ketosis & Intermittent Fasting. He is the author of the best-selling book The Healthy Keto Plan, and is the Director of Dr. Berg Nutritionals. He no longer practices, but focuses on health education through social media.

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Disclaimer:
Dr. Eric Berg received his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1988. His use of “doctor” or “Dr.” in relation to himself solely refers to that degree. Dr. Berg is a licensed chiropractor in Virginia, California, and Louisiana, but he no longer practices chiropractic in any state and does not see patients so he can focus on educating people as a full time activity, yet he maintains an active license. This video is for general informational purposes only. It should not be used to self-diagnose and it is not a substitute for a medical exam, cure, treatment, diagnosis, and prescription or recommendation. It does not create a doctor-patient relationship between Dr. Berg and you. You should not make any change in your health regimen or diet before first consulting a physician and obtaining a medical exam, diagnosis, and recommendation. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Thanks for watching!

[youtubeuser]

Just like my comment, it will make my day!! I'm 13 lbs down in 5 weeks. Trying to stay strong thru all the temptations!! My husband is down almost 30!!! Thank you Dr Berg!

[Blinkgirlsareperfect]

Dr Berg, I have lost 79 pounds because of your videos and they have changed my life completely!!! Thanks for basically saving my life.

[juliusvichinsky]

Down 170 lbs so far and finding additional help because of you. Thank you!

[wtifrxm]

Thank you, I see everyone talking about craving sweets and things like chocolate and I don’t really like sweets at all. But I do crave salty things a lot, especially chips.

[Karen-Campos]

It’s always good to know your “whys” so you can intelligently answer the naysayers!

[DougyFreshGames]

Potato chips are definitely a weakness at night. Thanks for the information in your videos

[iFILIPINAY]

this is quite true.. from my experience on a keto diet, i have been cranky and grumpy lately and i also experience a brain fog. everytime, i eat salty olives the fog goes away instantly.

[Supperconductor]

Dr. Berg is psychic. I was just wondering why I crave salt before bedtime.

[Chercheure_Indépendante]

6:00 wow I just got this finally: "with adrenal fatigue you're gonna have low sodium" no wonder the salt cravings at night I was feeling ashamed of. Not anymore, thank you Dr. Berg

[mariamh.]

Dr berg you're ready my mind! You videos are always on time for me

[PhilipMcAdam]

Super super advice. I used to the salt free thing when I was younger and I never had energy and always craved salty foods nuts potato chips etc. Not any more and I have more energy now than I ever had as a kid. Thank you Thank you Dr Berg for giving my life to me. I was going to giving my life back to me but I have never been this fit.

[daveporter]

I watch your videos daily. My health is a lot better of what was before I educate myself via your channel and some more.
THANK YOU! You deserve more than 3 million subscribers.

[ramonaem]

I always get these cravings for salty chips (tortilla or potato 🥔) around my menstrual cycle 🤷🏻‍♀️ now I know what to do .... thanks 🙏🏼😊

[AI-MusicPlanet]

The doctor had me on BP medicine...I was 60 pounds overweight..went on keto diet, lost the weight and started taking potassium daily, without cutting salt intake...my blood pressure is normal now and I am off the meds.

[cbrcoder]

Makes sense. This is the reason most natural foods rich in Potassium has Sodium too. Eg. Coconut Water - my favorite Potassium supplement :)

[maryc]

Your videos come up at the perfect time for me. I found that a small dip and lick of a finger in sea salt helped calm my upset stomach at night.

[dosdandelions]

So good! When hot and thirsty we squeeze a lemon and a lime into a very big glass and add a generous amount of quality Sea Salt. Then pour ice hold water onto that (from a height makes it mix nice) and drink. It's so good!

[gaypreator]

On a roll this morning Dr. Berg. Another great video. When I was a kid. Yes, those awful 50’s, my Mom used to give me salt tablets in the summer or when I was cranky. 🧂🧂🧂

[jasoncheng]

When I started keto I paid no attention to sodium intake. After about a month I started to feel not too good. My mouth felt tasteless, and I had nausea. The other very strange symptom was that I don't want to drink water because water is tasteless and I made my nausea worse. Then I added half a teaspoon of salt into water and BAAM all the symptoms were gone. And the salt water tasted so good I enjoyed drinking it

[Malak]

I loved this video, because l was thinking that I take lots of sea salt, and you said before that a teaspoon is enough, but it was not enough for me, and after doing keto and increasing sea salt l stopped craving for potato chips.

I love how you read and search all the time.