High intake of salt can increase stress levels

EUROPE: There are several studies that prove the negative impacts on medical health with a high intake of salty foods. However, new researches also prove the impacts this can have on the emotional well-being of a person.

A new European study used mice models to test the hypothesis of increased emotional stress as a result of high salt intake.

They linked the rise in salt levels in the body with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the body’s stress response system. As a result, experts also noticed a rise in glucocorticoids, a hormone produced to regulate the amounts of stress in the body.

Matthew Bailey, Ph.D., lead author of this study and professor of renal physiology at the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Cardiovascular Science, said that while the saying “We are what we eat” holds true, understanding how processed and salty foods can impact our mental health is an important step towards improving our mental wellbeing.

According to the guidelines, humans should consume a minimum of at least 2300mg of salt every day. However, adults usually consume over 3,400 mg of salt of a daily basis.

Male mice models were used to test this theory and hormonal levels were analyzed to deduce the amount of stress the models undergo as a result of the induction of access salt.

Stress hormone levels were assessed in the morning and evening for over a period of three weeks. Genetic tissue was analyzed to prove the impact on liver, hypothalamus, kidney and heart

The researchers were able to suggest a positive correlation between high salt levels and the activation of the HPA axis. Researchers noticed that the mice models developed a blood condition called Hypernatremia and their bodies went into a “water conservation” process to counteract the high salt levels in the body.

Dr Mathew Baily hopes that with the proven hypothesis of this research, other researchers can test similar hypotheses to eliminate the limitation of the study, in order to encourage the authorities to spread accurate awareness regarding processed and other foods with high salt quantities, to encourage people to remain medically and emotionally healthy.