Salt doesn't just make you fat - new studies show: it endangers the psyche!

Salt doesn't just make you fat - new studies show: it endangers the psyche!

New research shows that high salt consumption not only puts strain on the heart, but could also increase the risk of mental health problems such as depression. A study from Nanjing Medical University examined the influence of salt on the behavior of mice and found that a high-salt diet was linked to symptoms reminiscent of depressive moods. Mice fed high amounts of salt showed less exercise and less interest in their surroundings. These behavioral changes were triggered by increased production of the protein IL-17A, which is correlated with depression. IL-17A is produced by gamma delta T cells, whose activity also increased as the mice consumed salt. Interestingly, turning off these cells led to improvement in depressive symptoms in the animals, suggesting that dietary changes could offer new approaches to treating depression. These findings are particularly relevant because in many Western countries, salt consumption is often above the WHO recommended maximum of five grams per day, and high salt consumption has traditionally been considered a cardiovascular problem, but is now also recognized as a potential threat to mental health. oe24 reports that, although evidence is increasing, it remains unclear whether salt can directly cause depression in humans.

At this point, it is important to consider the connection between salt consumption and stress. Another study from the University of Edinburgh sheds light on how increased salt intake affects stress levels. This research, published in the journal Cardiovascular Research, shows that mice that normally had a low-salt diet experienced activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis after two weeks of high-salt feeding. This activation results in an increased glucocorticoid response to stress. The results suggest that stress hormones in these mice were twice as high as in normally fed mice during both periods of rest and environmental stress, indicating a significant impairment in psychological well-being. Heilpraxisnet notes that increased salt intake can also increase the activity of genes that produce proteins in the brain that control the stress response.

Risks of high salt consumption

The German Nutrition Society recommends consuming up to six grams of salt every day. However, around 70% of women and 80% of men eat more than this amount every day. This not only has an impact on blood pressure, which rises due to high salt consumption and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, but could also have an impact on mental health. High blood pressure is also associated with an increased risk of vascular dementia.

The combination of these results illustrates that the issue of salt consumption affects much more than just physical health. It raises questions about our diet and the potential long-term consequences that go beyond physical symptoms and can also affect mental health. Further studies are needed to investigate the potential behavioral changes, such as anxiety and aggression, caused by high salt consumption.