The Mind-Gut Connection — and Salt?

We have long been told to eat less salt as a high salt diet can lead to high blood pressure, which in turn is a risk factor for a host of health problems including heart disease and stroke. But did you know that, more recently, a high salt diet has been linked to stroke and overall brain health, regardless of the presence of high blood pressure? It is now widely accepted that there is a connection between our minds and our guts and problems with communication between the two contribute to various diseases including Parkinson’s and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). This field of mind-gut connection is growing and a 2013 study showed that high salt intake leads to significant immune changes in the gut, thereby increasing the vulnerability of the brain to autoimmunity, where the immune system attacks its own healthy cells and tissues. A 2018 article publish in Nature Neuroscience showed a startling connection between the gut and the brain. Immune signals from the gut have the power to compromise the brain’s blood vessels and this leads to deteriorating brain health as well as cognitive impairment. The study found that excessive salt might negatively impact brain health in humans through impairing the brain’s blood vessels. This finding was not connected to blood pressure. The researchers in this study proposed new therapeutic guidelines involving reduction in salt intake to counter stroke and cognitive dysfunction. More specifically, as Jonathan D. Grinstein explains ...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Health-related Research Source Type: blogs