02 Apr Easy way to satisfy premenstrual salt cravings without salt
Noticed you’re eating more salt-covered pretzels or corn chips or shaking more table salt onto your foods in Week 3 and Week 4 of your cycle (the day after ovulation through the day before your next period)?
It’s normal for salt cravings to increase on these days, according to research in the Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. This may be because salt provides a euphoric buzz to your brain, countering premenstrual down moods on these days, or it could be that progesterone spurs a desire for salt as a way to get more sodium to balance fluids in the body, researchers surmise.
Whatever the reason behind your heightened desire for salt, if you’re trying to limit your intake due to bloating, blood pressure or other problems, yet you still need that salty hit, try flavoring your foods with oregano–a Mediterranean herb commonly used on pizza.
Oregano-eaters consume less salt
In a study in the Journal of the American Society of Hypertension, salt lovers who used oregano in their meals ended up preferring foods with less salt, indicating their salt cravings had been reduced.
The reason? The researchers suspect it’s because the particular flavor profile of oregano helps fulfill the desire for a salty taste, so you don’t feel the need to load up on the white stuff.
Squeeze out more salty flavor
For a bigger salty rush from oregano, use the dried version. This is one of the few culinary herbs whose flavor intensifies in a dried form.
Not an oregano fan? Experiment with other herbs and spices that have a salty taste, such as basil, garlic and turmeric, to find the ones you like.
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