Older Adults and the Saltshaker: Men vs Women

Salt is one of those things most people know they should eat less of but rarely think carefully about. The salt is already there in in packaged foods, it is added while cooking, and the final shake at the table, it all adds up.

And for older adults, that accumulation carries a risk that grows heavier with age, when the body's tolerance for excess sodium quietly narrows while the craving for salty flavors often stays the same or grows stronger.

A new study has examined exactly this , who among older adults is most likely to reach for the saltshaker after food is already on the table, what drives that behavior, and whether it plays out the same way for men and women.

The answers are more nuanced than most people expect, and they carry implications that go well beyond simply eating less salt.

Factors Behind Added Salt Consumption

A study published in Frontiers in Public Health in April 2026 analyzed survey data from more than 8,300 Brazilian adults aged 60 and over, and found that older men are more likely than women to add salt to food at the table with 12.7% of men and 9.4% of women reporting this habit.¹

But the headline finding was not simply that men salt more. What the researchers found was that the factors driving the habit are fundamentally different between genders, and that women's salt-adding behavior is shaped by a far wider web of social, dietary, and contextual influences.

 "Adding salt to food at the table remains a relatively common habit among Brazilian older adults and occurs more frequently among men than among women," said lead author Dr Flávia Brito of Rio de Janeiro State University.

"Women's salt-adding behavior, however, was associated with a wider range of social and dietary characteristics than men's," added co-author Dr Débora Santos.

For Men, It's Simple 

Among older men in the study, only two factors significantly predicted whether they added extra salt. Men who were on a special diet for high blood pressure were less than half as likely to add salt, suggesting that a medical instruction to restrict sodium is one of the few things that reliably changes the habit in men.

Men who lived alone were 62% more likely to add salt than those living with others.

That second finding is particularly telling. A man living alone eats without the moderating influence of a spouse or family member who might cook differently, choose lower-sodium foods, or simply notice and comment on the habit.

Cooking for one tends to mean fewer fresh ingredients, more reliance on convenience and processed food, and less motivation to experiment with flavour alternatives. The saltshaker becomes the easiest way to make food taste like something.

The researchers noted that men's salt-adding behavior appeared less directly related to specific dietary patterns suggesting it may be more of a habitual or autonomous behavior rather than one embedded in a broader food philosophy. Men, it seems, often add salt because they always have. And unless a doctor has explicitly told them not to, that habit tends to hold.

For Women, It's More Complicated

The picture for older women is notably more complex and in some ways, more encouraging. Women's odds of adding salt were 68% higher if they did not follow a blood pressure diet.

If they lived in urban areas or frequently ate ultra-processed foods, the odds doubled. But for women who regularly consumed fruits or vegetables, the likelihood was 81% lower for fruit consumers and 40% lower for vegetable consumers.

This pattern suggests something important - women's salt habits are more tightly woven into their overall approach to eating. A woman who eats more fresh produce is demonstrably less likely to be reaching for the salt.

A woman who relies on ultra-processed food, which already carries heavy sodium loads, is more likely to add still more at the table, possibly because the palate has been recalibrated toward expecting high saltiness.

Urban living also showed up as a risk factor for women but not men. This likely reflects the greater availability and consumption of processed and restaurant food in cities, where cooking from scratch is less common and sodium-dense convenience options dominate.

Why This Matters More as You Age

The WHO recommends no more than five grams of salt daily for adults, roughly one teaspoon.

In 2021 alone, 1.8 million deaths globally were attributed to salt overconsumption, and it remains one of the most modifiable risk factors for high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease. Salt added at the table, while a smaller contributor than salt in processed food, accounts for between 6 and 20 percent of total daily intake.

For older adults specifically, the stakes are higher for several reasons. As the body ages, the kidneys become less efficient at processing and excreting sodium, meaning the same amount of salt has a greater blood pressure-raising effect than it would in a younger person.

Older adults are also more likely to already be managing hypertension, cardiovascular conditions, or kidney issues, precisely the diseases that excess sodium worsens.

There is also an often-overlooked cognitive dimension. Salt overconsumption in older age has been linked in other research to accelerated cognitive decline, adding yet another reason to take the table habit seriously.

Distinguishing Habit and Taste

The research has an interesting finding - we often add salt to food not because it is bland, but out of habit.  In effect, if we keep eating high-sodium foods, we reduce our sensitivity to salt. This can make us like stronger saltiness. However, adding more salt often seems to be a habit rather than a taste improver. 

The two problems require different solutions which, makes it matter. Those who truly can’t taste enough salt in food could look to cooking techniques that enhance flavor without sodium, such as adding an acidic ingredient like lemon or tamarind, toasting spices before adding them, or layering in aromatics like garlic and ginger.

Someone who reaches for salt as a habit, often before tasting the food itself, must tackle the behavior itself, and one of the easiest nudges is removing the saltshaker from the table altogether.

The researchers made specific recommendations which included practical strategies like not routinely placing saltshakers on the table - using herbs and natural seasonings as alternatives; and using the acidity of citrus fruits to keep taste pleasant.

Tailored Plan, Not One-Size-All

The clearest implication from this research is that anti-salt messaging, which targets older adults requires customized implementation instead of standardization.

The recommendation to reduce salt intake for older men will not lead to results unless the advice includes particular dietary instructions and practical assistance for cooking development to support individuals who live by themselves.

Older women can achieve greater health improvements through two main dietary changes, which involve cutting back on ultra-processed foods and increasing their intake of fresh produce because both changes will benefit their cognitive function and heart health in addition to reducing sodium intake.

Salt is so embedded in food culture, especially Indian cooking, where it features in everything from morning chai (yes some like their tea salty) to evening dal, that asking people to simply use less rarely works.

What does work is giving people concrete, appealing alternatives, understanding which groups are most at risk, and not treating all older adults as having the same relationship with the saltshaker.

FAQs

References

1. National Library of Medicine | The habit of adding salt to food at the table and its association with socio-demographic, anthropometric and dietary characteristics 

Disclaimer: This content is for general informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider with any questions about your health or treatment options.