Why salty food stops you from eating more salt
Chemosensory modulation of neural circuits for sodium appetite
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
When mice are low on salt, their brain tells them to eat more—but the moment they taste salt, a quick signal shuts off that craving. This happens through a special brain circuit that senses salt on the tongue and tells the 'salt hunger' neurons to calm down.
Surprising Findings
Salt taste alone—without any absorption or digestion—can shut down salt cravings in under a second.
Common belief: You need to absorb sodium to feel full. This study proves the brain uses taste as a predictive signal—like a ‘preemptive strike’ against overconsumption.
Practical Takeaways
If you’re trying to cut salt, rinse your mouth with water after tasting it—this may trick your brain into thinking you’ve had enough.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
When mice are low on salt, their brain tells them to eat more—but the moment they taste salt, a quick signal shuts off that craving. This happens through a special brain circuit that senses salt on the tongue and tells the 'salt hunger' neurons to calm down.
Surprising Findings
Salt taste alone—without any absorption or digestion—can shut down salt cravings in under a second.
Common belief: You need to absorb sodium to feel full. This study proves the brain uses taste as a predictive signal—like a ‘preemptive strike’ against overconsumption.
Practical Takeaways
If you’re trying to cut salt, rinse your mouth with water after tasting it—this may trick your brain into thinking you’ve had enough.
Publication
Journal
Nature
Year
2019
Authors
Sangjun Lee, Vineet Augustine, Yuan Zhao, Haruka Ebisu, Brittany Ho, D. Kong, Yuki Oka
Related Content
Claims (8)
These brain cells only make mice want salt—not water or food—and don’t affect how much they move around.
Mice stop wanting salt almost instantly when they taste it in their mouth—even before the salt gets into their body—and this happens because a specific brain signal turns off when salt is tasted.
When mice taste salt, a different group of brain cells that use a calming chemical (GABA) gets turned on and sends a 'stop' signal to the salt-craving cells, making them quiet down.
When mice are low on salt, a specific group of brain cells makes them desperately want to eat salt—even if it tastes bad—and these cells also make the mice feel bad, so they do things to stop the feeling.
Activation of sodium-sensing neurons (NST) by oral sodium intake modulates satiety signaling and reduces appetite.