High salt intake can not only affect your heart health, affect your bones and kidneys , it can also affect the health of your brain. Consuming salty foods decreases blood flow to the brain.
A study conducted by researchers at the State University from Georgia and published in the journal Cell Reports, examined how salt intake affects blood flow to the hypothalamus, a region deep in the brain involved in bodily functions such as drinking, eating, regulating body temperature and reproduction.
When neurons are activated, a rapid increase in blood flow occurs, this is a positive link. In contrast, researchers found that with salt intake there is a decrease in blood flow as neurons fired in the hypothalamus.
“Normally a reduction in blood flow is observed in the cerebral cortex in the case of diseases such as Alzheimer’s or after a stroke or ischemia, ”said Dr. Javier Stern, professor of neuroscience and director of the Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases.
“When you eat salty foods, the brain detects them and activates a series of compensatory mechanisms to reduce sodium levels ,” says Stern. It does this in part by activating neurons that trigger the release of vasopressin, an antidiuretic hormone.
Researchers point out that if you chronically ingest a lot of salt, you will have hyperactivation of your vasopressin neurons. . What can induce excessive hypoxia and cause tissue damage in the brain.
“If we can better understand this process , we can design new targets to stop this hypoxia-dependent activation and perhaps improve outcomes for people with salt-dependent high blood pressure, ” said Stern.
Hypoxia occurs when not enough oxygen reaches the brain. The National Library of Medicine explains that brain cells are extremely sensitive to oxygen deprivation . Some of these begin to die less than five minutes after the oxygen supply is interrupted.
Symptoms of mild cerebral hypoxia include: distraction, impaired judgment and movement uncoordinated. Brain hypoxia can lead to serious brain damage or death.
Hypertension is a condition that can lead to coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, and other health problems. About 1 in 3 adults in the United States has hypertension, according to data from the National Institutes of Health.
Blood pressure can be lowered by lowering sodium in the diet. The WHO recommends that adults consume less than 2, 000 mg of sodium per day. The American Heart Association recommends for people with high blood pressure an ideal limit of no more than 1, 500 mg of sodium per day. One teaspoon of salt equals 2, 300 mg of sodium.
It may interest you:
– 6 lies about salt that you must stop believing
– Iodized salt, the best WHO option
– 5 foods that help you keep your brain sharper