For thousands of years people have used salt to make food taste better and to keep it from spoiling. Today, eating too much salt can raise blood pressure, hurt the heart and kidneys, and even speed up memory loss. The World Health Organization says adults should not eat more than five grams of salt each day.
Most salt comes from processed foods, but putting salt on the table still adds about 6‑20% of the total amount we eat. Scientists wanted to know who is most likely to reach for the saltshaker, especially in different cultures.
A recent study in Frontiers in Public Health looked at older adults in Brazil to answer that question.
Who Adds Extra Salt?Researchers used survey data from 2016‑2017 that included 8,300 Brazilians aged 60 or older. Participants listed everything they ate and drank in the last 24 hours and said whether they usually added salt at the table.
The team also checked factors such as sex, age, education, income, living arrangements, city or countryside residence, and how often they ate fruits, vegetables, or ultra‑processed foods.
Overall, 12.7% of men and 9.4% of women said they added extra salt. However, the reasons behind the habit were very different for men and women.
How Lifestyle Shapes Salt UseFor men, only two factors mattered. Men who followed a special diet to control blood pressure were less than half as likely to add salt. Men who lived alone were 62% more likely to sprinkle extra salt compared with those who lived with others.
Women showed a more complex picture. Women not on a blood‑pressure diet were 68% more likely to add salt. Living in a city doubled the chance, and eating many ultra‑processed foods also doubled it.
On the other hand, women who ate fruit regularly were 81% less likely to use extra salt, and those who ate vegetables often were 40% less likely. This suggests that women who watch their overall diet also watch their salt intake.
Why Do People Reach for Salt?Both taste preferences and habit drive the behavior. Eating a lot of salty foods can make our taste buds less sensitive, so we may need more salt to feel the flavor. Often, adding salt is simply a routine, not a real need.
To cut down salt, we need more than personal choices. Food manufacturers should lower sodium in processed and ultra‑processed products, which are the biggest sources of excess salt.
People can also make small changes at home. Because men and women have different reasons for using extra salt, public‑health messages should be tailored to each group.
Using herbs, spices, or a splash of lemon instead of salt can keep food tasty. Keeping saltshakers out of sight on the table may also help break the habit.