Sugar has gradually become the number one enemy of good health, but we talk much less about its double, salt. We know that overconsumption of salt can lead to high blood pressure and heart problems, but what is less talked about is its equally harmful effect on the brain. Dr. Costantino Iadecola, a prominent American neurologist, conducted a talking experiment that allowed him to establish a link between salt and cerebrovascular disease and dementia. His team of scientists fed mice a high-salt diet and they gradually showed signs of degraded mental performance and cognitive impairment (which affects memory, comprehension, judgment, etc. ). The reason ? Their brains were simply starved of blood.
Because of their high-salt diet, the rodents couldn't find their way out of a maze as quickly as they used to, and they even ended up unresponsive when their whiskers were stroked. The scientists also noticed an increase in the flow of interleukin 17, an inflammatory substance capable of modifying the chemical signals of the cerebral blood vessels. “After 3 months, the mice had dementia. They are curious animals that like to do new things, but over time they have lost their ability to recognize ordinary objects. They were unable to make a nest, something they usually do every day explains Dr. Costantino Iadecola. However, we must remain vigilant about these conclusions:it could be that similar effects occur in humans in the long term, but the dangers of high-salt diets are often associated with already existing high blood pressure. But we still learn the lesson:salt, like sugar and fat, is in moderation!
