The Neural Basis of Salt Perception: A Focus on Potassium Chloride as a Sodium Alternative

Excessive dietary sodium intake is a major risk factor for hypertension, prompting interest in potassium chloride (KCl) as a sodium chloride (NaCl) alternative. While KCl preserves saltiness, its neural processing compared to NaCl remains underexplored. This study investigates the neural correlates of taste perception for NaCl, KCl, and their mixture using gustatory event-related potentials (ERPs) in a sample of 28 healthy young adults. Participants rated the intensity, saltiness, and pleasantness of the stimuli, which were matched for iso-intensity and iso-pleasantness. High-density EEG data revealed distinct microstate patterns associated with each condition, particularly in the later stages of processing, which align with the endogenous phases of taste perception. Source localization identified the insula and opercular regions as primary sites for gustatory processing, with specific differences in activation patterns between NaCl and KCl. These findings suggest that while KCl elicits comparable behavioral responses to NaCl, its neural representation involves unique processes that may reflect its distinct chemical properties. This study advances our understanding of the neural dynamics of salt taste perception, providing insights into the potential use of KCl as a potentially healthier alternative in dietary interventions.