Ihave caught my son pouring salt in his hands and eating it, why would he do this he says he likes it?

Answer 1

see a doctor

Salt is a common seasoning in the British diet. Lots of us add it to recipes or shake it on food automatically. And while many people claim they can’t taste their dinner without some seasoning, cutting back will help you discover flavours you never knew were there.

We all need a little bit of salt - it helps body cells to absorb nutrients - but the vast majority of us eat two and a half times too much. It may come as a surprise, but most of the salt we eat comes from readymade foods such as bread, cereals and baked beans. Even sweet things like biscuits have salt added to them.

The technical name for salt is sodium chloride. The sodium part helps to keep body fluids at the right concentration. If you eat too much, the volume of body fluids increases and pushes up your blood pressure. High blood pressure, or hypertension, can lead to heart disease or stroke.

On average, people in the UK eat about 9.5g salt (about 3.7g sodium) a day. This may not sound like much, but to reduce the risk of disease, we shouldn’t be eating more than 6g salt (2.5g sodium) a day, and levels should be much lower than this for babies and children.

Because salt is hidden in so many foods, it can be tricky to work out how much you’re eating. Some foods, such crisps, olives and bacon, taste obviously salty and are easy to spot if you’re trying to cut down. To keep track of hidden salt, get into the habit of reading the nutritional information on food, where you’ll find the salt (sodium) content. As a rough guide, 0.5g or more of sodium per 100g is a lot, below 0.5g is moderate and 0.1g is a little. Making changes to your diet can also help you to cut down your salt intake. Why not try the following:

flavour food with herbs, spices, garlic and lemon juice,
reduce the amount of salt you add to recipes and don’t add extra seasoning to your food (at least taste it first),
look for tinned vegetables and pulses without added salt,
if you buy ready meals, look for those with controlled or reduced salt,
buy tinned food in water rather than brine,
cut down on salty foods such as crisps, nuts, bacon and some cheeses, and
choose low-salt stock cubes or make your own stock.

Answer 2

While I agree with many of your answerers that you should not encourage your son to eat salt, I don't think you need to overreact either. Forbidding its use is like anything else with a kid, it makes it more appealing. Explain the reasons why it should only be used as a seasoning, and even then lightly.

Be sure you and the rest of the family are practicing what you preach...little or no salting of food at the table. Kids learn from you. But again, don't overreact. That can have the opposite effect and make him do it more...perhaps for your attention.

If you aren't already doing it, use sea salt around the house. It is a healthier salt for everyone.

Answer 3

Probably nothing to worry about. He may just be having a craving for something his body needs. Plus salt is a little bit addictive after all. Just hide the salt incase he has to much. it might be bad for him. My mother told me a story once of when she was a child. She was sent around the shops every week to buy some vinagar, but by the time she walked home she had finished it all.!!. yukky.kids a! maybe just call the doctor to see what they think.

Answer 4

I used to do this as a child because I thought it was tasty. I still like salty foods and use a lot of salt when I cook. I have not had any health problems....yet, my arteries are probably hardening as we speak.
Salt is not good for you in large quantities and I would hide the salt cellar to discourage him from eating it. It may also be wise to gradually reduce the amount of salt he is putting on his food, his tastebuds will soon adapt.

Answer 5

My 3.5 yr old daughter wanted to try salt when I was using it in cooking - I told her it was yucky but she said she liked it (she had never tried it) and in the end I gave in and put some on her hand and said to lick it - she did and she liked it! She asked for more! I said she couldnt have too much as it would make her sick - luckily she believed me - just keep the salt out of his reach

Answer 6

His body for some reason needs salt. If he will do it some days later too, you'd better to stop him.
Anyway I have a friend who when he was a child - according to his parents - sometimes lick the stonewall of their house. They brought him to the doc who said he had a defiency of mineral salts.

Answer 7

Deny your son access to the salt and monitor him. If he is still craves for it after awhile then take him to see your GP.

When my middle daughter was small she used to suck lemons at every opportuntiy. My daughter said the same she liked it, however, she became dehydrated and developed sores in her mouth. I had to hide them, in fact I stopped buying them for a long time.

Answer 8

Hmm.. that isn't a very good idea or very healthy... I would try and get him to stop it. Could lead to damage to his body. To much salt intake is SO bad for you. I Mean i have stopped using it as much. I don't use it on chips or anything anymore but i cant cut it out of everything.

Answer 9

My best friend use to do this. Her doctor told her that when a person does things like that it could be their reaction to their body craving some vitamin or mineral that they're lacking. I would take him to a doctor for a routine check up.
On the flip side, it could very well be a phase.

Answer 10

I'd nip this habit in the bud now! Put the salt where he can't reach it and speak to your GP. If he carries on doing this, he will damage his kidneys and, eventually, his heart. He will also suffer from high blood pressure as he gets older.