And as Dr. This story first appeared in Weill Cornell Medicine, Winter Weill Cornell Medicine Office of External Affairs Phone: Home News.

Salt Sense: Scientists at the Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute Investigate the Link Between a High-Sodium Diet and Dementia. March 18, Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Share to LinkedIn Print. Costantino Iadecola left and Dr. Giuseppe Faraco. Credit: John Abbott.

That was more or less my story. In my view, there are three main drivers of subclinical sodium deficiency:. Very often, someone has all three factors working against their sodium status. An active person on a real food keto diet would qualify. If this sounds like you, read my deep dive on sodium.

While sodium is the key electrolyte for brain function, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium deserve a mention too. Ninety-nine percent of bodily calcium is stored in your skeleton. The rumors are true: calcium builds bone.

However, calcium also functions as an electrolyte. In other words, it helps your nervous system send messages. When someone has low serum calcium hypocalcemia , they may suffer cognitive symptoms like fatigue, depression, anxiety, and irritability. Hypocalcemia can also cause tetany, or involuntary muscle contraction.

Nonetheless, magnesium deficiency has dire consequences for the nervous system, including:. Magnesium can also have a relaxative effect. Some research has shown that magnesium supplementation reduces stress and anxiety in vulnerable populations, but better controlled studies are needed on the topic.

Phosphorus, or phosphate, is found in DNA, muscle, bones, and energy ATP. When someone is phosphate deficient, they may suffer neuromuscular problems like muscle weakness, tremors, and respiratory dysfunction.

In severe cases, coma or seizures can result. But since phosphates are abundant in the food supply, deficiency is rare. In fact, Americans consume too much phosphorus —a dietary pattern linked to increased fracture risk.

The link between potassium and brain health is fairly convoluted. One study, for instance, found no link between potassium intake and cognitive decline. There was, however, a link found between mental health and the sodium-to-potassium ratio.

What explains this? I believe it has to do with blood pressure. In general, higher potassium intakes correlate with lower blood pressure. High blood pressure damages microvessels in the brain. For this and other reasons, I recommend folks strive to get 3.

Prioritize food sources, then supplement your shortfall. Okay, that was a lot of info. As a refresher, here are the main points we covered today:. Want to get enough electrolytes from foods and supplements? Take 5 minutes and read our detailed guide: Electrolyte Rich Foods And When To Supplement.

Get Yours. Why your brain needs electrolytes especially sodium From the desk of. The Japanese, who have one of the highest salt intakes in the world, also have the highest life expectancy. Of course salt has many other health benefits, but when it comes to eating salt to support brain power, it really is a no-brainer.

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Next, there can be also difference in the way that the brain can respond and the time taken to that particular response to stress also may get double.

And it can also alter if increasing activity of the genes that are present in certain areas of the brain; it can have an impact on increasing protein because of increase in this gene activity in those stressful areas," says Dr Altamash Shaikh, Consultant Endocrinologist Masina Hospital, Mumbai.

Also, heart diseases and heart attacks can further damage the brain," says Dr Shaikh. Dementia is also called as Alzheimer's disease and it can be a cause or it can be because of high blood pressure," says the endocrinologist.

So, this is how high blood pressure with various mechanisms can cause these problems," the expert adds. Also, there can be change in lining of the blood vessels which supply the brain and oxygen to the brain and it can actually cause cognitive decline in behavioural changes.

And that is what we teach our patients the lifestyle changes of how to live with less salt," concludes Dr Shaikh. High salt diet: 4 ways eating too much salt can affect your brain By Parmita Uniyal , New Delhi. Nov 23, PM IST. Read this news in brief form. Share Via. Also read: 'Excessive salt putting people at risk': WHO issues guidelines for sodium content in food A recent study by scientists at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland suggested that high salt consumption could also impose stress on the brain and that eating a lot of salt can elevate stress hormone production.

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