Does Eating Salty Foods Make You Retain Water?

Eating salty food does indeed cause your body to retain water. Ordinary table salt--sodium chloride (NaCl)--contains electrolytes naturally found in the human bloodstream. Electrolytes carry messages throughout the body in the form of electrical impulses. However, electrolyte levels normally remain status-quo. If they rise, a chain reaction occurs.

Process

Sodium, potassium and chlorine fuction as electrolytes--or ionized minerals--in the body.

After it is consumed, salt is absorbed into your bloodstream. Salt acts as a magnet for water, sucking it out of the body's cells. Water is polar and attracted to sodium's electrical ions. The cells resist, but lose.

Effects

Both your dehydrated cells and salty blood send messages to the brain, asking for more water to respectively quench and dilute. This is why you become thirsty after eating salty snacks.

Retention

When your body needs more H2O, the kidneys slow urine production, conserving the precious resource. Your body is now retaining water. Your body will react this way until the blood returns to an acceptable electrolyte level.

References

• CaloriesPerHour.com: How Salt Affects Your Weight
• A Moment of Science: Why Salt Makes You Thirsty

Resources

• Salt Institute