The origin of saltiness: oral detection of NaCl

Salt (NaCl) is an essential nutrient for it allows maintaining a stable level of Na+ in the extracellular fluid. This condition is required by many physiological processes, which would be otherwise compromised by sodium deficiency. To recognize salt in food and beverages, we rely on specific chemical detectors provided by taste and somatosensory systems in the oral cavity. Activation of these detectors elicits the sensation of saltiness. Here I will use a model, based on animal research, as a conceptual framework to help understand the mechanisms of salt detection in humans.