Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Do You Crave Salt

JBaby

Recommended Posts

JBaby Enthusiast
JBaby
Posted

Just wondering how many of you crave salt when you are gluten-free. I never craved salt in the BAD days.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


sandsurfgirl Collaborator
sandsurfgirl
Posted

You are probably dehydrated and low on electrolytes. A doctor I went to said that dehydration is a key issue for people with an autoimmune disorder.

I have tried natural electrolyte drops and packets and they made me feel sick and dizzy so I'm just drinking Gatorade and lots of water. But you might try them and see if they help.

CecilyF Rookie
CecilyF
Posted

I am too! I salt stuff that I've NEVER salted before.

huenix Newbie
huenix
Posted

Since going gluten free, my salt intake has dropped significantly, but I am not sure a correlation is provable. Its winter, and I have been monsterously busy with work and family and stuff, but last spring and summer, when I was running a lot, I was to the point that I was craving salt all the time. I'd pour salt on anything and everything. I would shake salt onto my hand and eat it. My wife would go insane at me about how bad it was for me. :)

As this is my first gluten free training cycle, I am really curious to see if my salt cravings, as well as persistent cramping, goes away. I know its not really dehydration, because I am way too familiar with the symptoms, but its possible it was electrolyte issues.

JBaby Enthusiast
JBaby
Posted
  • Author

I am too! I salt stuff that I've NEVER salted before.

Glad its not all in my head. I never ate a tube of lays Stax chipsin 1 siting before or half a bag of regular Lays chips. I agree, it is likely dehydration. I drink way to much coffee and hot teas every day. Even pre gluten-free diet with the coffee drinking and tea, i never craved salt. Now I do.

sandsurfgirl Collaborator
sandsurfgirl
Posted

Coffee, tea and soda all dehydrate you and throw your electrolytes off. You are supposed to drink something like 2 glasses of water for every one glass of coffee, tea or soda that you drink.

I drink tea but cut coffee right now while my gut is healing. I drink a big glass of half water and half Gatorade in the morning before I have my tea to get a leg up on the dehydration. I wish I could use the natural electrolytes but I just can't so this is working for me right now.

luvs2eat Collaborator
luvs2eat
Posted

My tastes have totally changed over the years I've been gluten free. I don't bake much anymore... can't reconcile myself to the cookies and the flavor of cakes we can have. I want crunchy chips way more than candy/cookies anymore.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


DownWithGluten Explorer
DownWithGluten
Posted

I've always been a salt-mongering fiend and still am. :ph34r: I know it's not healthy. It's like my tongue doesn't want to eat something unless there's those granules of tangy salt on it. (Unless it's chocolate or something sweet, lol.) What's that about electrolytes? Don't even know what those are.

I always figured it was a taste palate thing. I remember learning that there are different taste bud sections on the tongues, and some people have stronger buds than others, etc., allowing for different 'tastes.' So I thought maybe I had a weak tangy bud that needs salt on everything to have flavor. :lol:

It would be good if it was something else I could fix because it's a bad habit. But I had it pre-going-gluten-free and after.

bluebonnet Explorer
bluebonnet
Posted

yes!! ... and i think its so strange because i never craved anything salty and pretty much avoided it purposely! now though i find myself wanting it. wierd.

larry mac Enthusiast
larry mac
Posted

I am drinking more margaritas!

best regards, lm

huenix Newbie
huenix
Posted

Coffee, tea and soda all dehydrate you and throw your electrolytes off. You are supposed to drink something like 2 glasses of water for every one glass of coffee, tea or soda that you drink.

This is a fallacy. People who consume caffeinated beverages regularly have no diuretic effects from it. And the sodium in most sodas adds to electrolyte levels, not removes them.

larry mac Enthusiast
larry mac
Posted

This is a fallacy. People who consume caffeinated beverages regularly have no diuretic effects from it. And the sodium in most sodas adds to electrolyte levels, not removes them.

I'm not disputing the statement above, I'm not an expert about it.

But, on the rare occassions that I drink iced tea, it seems to make me P a lot. :o

best regards, lm

missy'smom Collaborator
missy'smom
Posted

I am watching this conversation with interest so I'll add my thoughts and experience. I have been craving salt lately too and never did before. I don't know what's behind it but I do know that if I drink my day's alottment of water I do better overall. I haven't come to a conclusion about the influence of tea and wine but the days when I am not consuming it and the days when I am functioning better go hand in hand and I tend not to munch on the salty food on those days as well. I find that I mostly crave it in the evenings. I don't drink alot of tea, just one to three cups per day and many times that 2nd and third cup will be brewed from the same tea bag or leaves, resulting in less caffiene. Wine is another story sometimes:unsure: One thought I had was that I being on a very restricted diet I reach for the same things that I have deemed "safe" if I want to stray off plan, so I was wondering if I trained myself unknowingly to reach for salt via that particular food. However I think that the body is always trying to achieve some balance and for some of us that is a more delicate balance than others so I feel that it might not take much for some.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,685
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    tdouglas2901
    Newest Member
    tdouglas2901
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Draft gluten-free ciders… can they be trusted ?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I'd go with a vodka tonic, but that's just me😉
    • Rejoicephd
      Draft gluten-free ciders… can they be trusted ?

      By Rejoicephd · Posted

      That and my nutritionist also said that drinking cider is one of the worst drink choices for me, given that I have candida overgrowth.  She said the combination of the alcohol and sugar would be very likely to worsen my candida problem.  She suggested that if I drink, I go for clear vodka, either neat or with a splash of cranberry.   So in summary, I am giving ciders a rest.  Whether it's a gluten risk or sugars and yeast overgrowth, its just not worth it.
    • Inkie
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Inkie · Posted

      Thank you for the information ill will definitely bring it into practice .
    • Scott Adams
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      While plain, pure tea leaves (black, green, or white) are naturally gluten-free, the issue often lies not with the tea itself but with other ingredients or processing. Many flavored teas use barley malt or other gluten-containing grains as a flavoring agent, which would be clearly listed on the ingredient label. Cross-contamination is another possibility, either in the facility where the tea is processed or, surprisingly, from the tea bag material itself—some tea bags are sealed with a wheat-based glue. Furthermore, it's important to consider that your reaction could be to other substances in tea, such as high levels of tannins, which can be hard on the stomach, or to natural histamines or other compounds that can cause a non-celiac immune response. The best way to investigate is to carefully read labels for hidden ingredients, try switching to a certified gluten-free tea brand that uses whole leaf or pyramid-style bags, and see if the reaction persists.
    • Scott Adams
      Inconclusive results

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      This is a challenging and confusing situation. The combination of a positive EMA—which is a highly specific marker rarely yielding false positives—alongside strongly elevated TTG on two separate occasions, years apart, is profoundly suggestive of celiac disease, even in the absence of biopsy damage. This pattern strongly aligns with what is known as "potential celiac disease," where the immune system is clearly activated, but intestinal damage has not yet become visible under the microscope. Your concern about the long-term risk of continued gluten consumption is valid, especially given your family's experience with the consequences of delayed diagnosis. Since your daughter is now at an age where her buy-in is essential for a gluten-free lifestyle, obtaining a definitive answer is crucial for her long-term adherence and health. Given that she is asymptomatic yet serologically positive, a third biopsy now, after a proper 12-week challenge, offers the best chance to capture any microscopic damage that may have developed, providing the concrete evidence needed to justify the dietary change. This isn't about wanting her to have celiac; it's about wanting to prevent the insidious damage that can occur while waiting for symptoms to appear, and ultimately giving her the unambiguous "why" she needs to accept and commit to the necessary treatment. This article might be helpful. It breaks down each type of test, and what a positive results means in terms of the probability that you might have celiac disease. One test that always needs to be done is the IgA Levels/Deficiency Test (often called "Total IGA") because some people are naturally IGA deficient, and if this is the case, then certain blood tests for celiac disease might be false-negative, and other types of tests need to be done to make an accurate diagnosis. The article includes the "Mayo Clinic Protocol," which is the best overall protocol for results to be ~98% accurate.    
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.