Excess Salt May Hurt Your Brain, Too
Salt has for years been cited as a cause of high blood pressure. Now new research suggests high-salt diets may harm your brain, too.
The latest study to show a link between a high-salt diet and memory and thinking problems was done in mice. But earlier research on humans suggests a link between high-salt diets and brain health as well.
In the newest study, researchers fed mice either 8 or 16 times the normal amount of salt in their diet. Within 8 to 12 weeks, the mice showed signs of memory and thinking problems. They had trouble telling new and familiar objects apart. It got harder for them to get through mazes. And they couldn't build a nest as well. These behaviors are all central to a mouse’s interaction with the world.