April 2/Psychology & Psychiatry Journal -- Most people consume far too much salt, and a University of Iowa (UI) researcher has discovered one potential reason humans crave it: it might put them in a better mood.
UI psychologist Kim Johnson and colleagues found in their research that when rats are deficient in sodium chloride, common table salt, they shy away from activities they normally enjoy, like drinking a sugary substance or pressing a bar that stimulates a pleasant sensation in their brains.