Biological and Behavioral Aspects of Salt Intake

Biological and Behavioral Aspects of Salt Intake presents the developmental, social, and anthropological aspects of salt intake. This book explores the existing knowledge of those factors that influence man's appetite for salt. Organized into five parts encompassing 28 chapters, this book starts with an overview of the pathological and physiological importance attached to levels of salt intake in health and in disease. This text then examines the scientific information concerning the nature of man's appetite for salt and the variations of that appetite as an expression of biological needs, behavioral patterns, differing environmental conditions, and normal or disturbed physiology. Other chapters examine the plasma renin activity, urinary sodium excretion, and taste responses of hypertensive and normotensive individuals. The final chapter explores the relations between taste, intake, preference, and hypertension. This book is a valuable resource for nutritionists, food scientists, and researchers interested in the planning of nutritional programs in public health or therapeutic regimens.