In warm weather, you may get tired of reminders to take a bottle of water with you on crowded trains or to stay hydrated at outdoor events. But what makes you thirsty and how else can you remember to keep topped up?
You might think you should avoid salty food when it’s hot. But actually, snacking on a few peanuts or pretzels in the sun can help to keep you hydrated.
It’s well known that the body sends a signal to the brain to drink more water when the balance of salt and water in your bloodstream needs diluting. This is measured and regulated by a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. But if you eat peanuts, long before the salt has even reached your stomach, let alone your bloodstream, the brain has figured out what will happen next and generates a feeling of thirst.
The subliminal cues that lead to this reaction are multisensory: even looking at a picture of peanuts can trigger this reaction and remind you to drink water in hot weather. Keeping a few photos of salty snacks in your wallet along with a water bottle isn’t yet recommended by transport staff – but perhaps it should be.
Dr Daniel Glaser is director of Science Gallery at King’s College London
How salty snacks can keep you hydrated
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