It’s no secret that salt can boost food’s flavor factor. And in small pinches, salt isn’t only tasty — it’s important for the body. Table salt (or what we like to shake all over the kitchen) is made of 40 percent sodium, an electrolyte that helps balance fluids in the body. Water tends to move to higher concentrations of sodium, so the more sodium, the more water the body retains. But too much sodium can put more than a bad taste in our mouthsTaste and Flavor Roles of Sodium in Foods: A Unique Challenge to Reducing Sodium Intake. Henney, J.E., Taylor, C.L., Boon, C.S., editors. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake, Washington (DC), National Academies Press (US). Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake in the United States, 2010.. The CDC recommends Americans consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day (or roughly one teaspoon of salt), and those with certain medical conditions (like high blood pressure) should really keep consumption to under 1,500 mg per day. But the average American consumes about 3,400 mg daily, which can contribute to major heart problems. (Yikes!) Reaching for those salty snacks makes it harder for the kidney to eliminate the excess sodium, which may lead to an increase in blood volume. This forces the body to work harder to pump blood, raising blood pressure to a dangerous degree. Talkabout a salty situation. (Also Check Out: 45 Healthy Foods to Make and Never Buy Again) But when the Doritos bag is laying a few inches away, it’s hard to resist grabbing a handful. Craving that salty sweetness may be due to a few factors, one being calcium deficiency. Sodium temporarily increases calcium levels in the blood, tricking the body into thinking it’s been given calcium. (Got Milk, anyone?) But the more sodium that’s consumed, the more calcium will eventually be excreted, resulting in extra salt and not enough calciumThe relationship of sodium intake to calcium and sodium excretion and bone mineral density of the hip in postmenopausal African-American and Caucasian women. Carbone, L.D., Bush, A.J., Barrow, K.D., et al. Department of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN. The Journal of Bone and Mineral Metabolism, 2003;21(6):415-20.. A lack of potassium may also cause people to crave salt, though the connection between the two nutrients is still unclear. A lack of sodium may also trigger dopamine reward systems in the brain once we start replenishingSalt craving: the psychobiology of pathogenic sodium intake. Morris, M.J., Na, E.S., Johnson, A.K. Department of Psychology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA. Physiology & Behavior, 2008 Aug 6;94(5):709-21.. (Read: Once the chips start going down the hatch, it’s hard to stop.)