Can eating too much salt cause depression?

A study published in The Journal of Immunology found a link between consuming a high-salt diet and depression-like symptoms in mice, according to Medical News Today.

People with heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes or fatty liver disease need to pay special attention to their sodium intake - Photo: FREEPIK

They found that this was likely related to stimulating the production of the cytokine IL-17A. The results open up future research into depression and potential treatments.

Mice were divided into two groups. One group ate a normal diet, the other a high-salt diet for five to eight weeks. The researchers used a number of methods to observe the mice's behavior. Another group of mice was placed in a model that simulated a depressive-like condition.

The results showed that the high-salt diet caused the mice to exhibit depressive-like behavior. They also found that these mice had increased production of IL-17A, a cytokine linked to depressive symptoms.

Dr. Robert Hostoffer, a board member of the American Osteopathic Association, says it is difficult to interpret data from mouse studies due to differences in the immune systems of mice and humans, both in soluble and insoluble components.

“Caution is needed when applying this data to humans. Additionally, defining depression in mice is very difficult to translate into the concept of depression in humans,” Hostoffer said.

This study highlights another reason for reducing salt intake, which benefits mental health, in addition to the known benefits for physical health.

As the American Heart Association notes, consuming too much salt or sodium can increase your risk of problems like high blood pressure, stomach cancer, osteoporosis and stroke.

American nutritionist Karen Z. Berg says consuming too much sodium is especially harmful to the heart and kidneys. People with heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes or fatty liver disease need to pay special attention to their sodium intake to avoid aggravating their condition.

Ho Chi Minh City people eat too much salt.

According to information from the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC), people in the city are consuming an average of 8.5g of salt per day, nearly double the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation of less than 5g per day, with men consuming more salt than women (9.4g compared to 7.6g per day).

According to HCDC, salt (sodium chloride - NaCl) is a familiar spice, in which sodium accounts for about 40% of the weight of salt. Sodium is also found in many other salty spices such as fish sauce, soy sauce, seasoning powder, MSG and soda.

Natural foods such as vegetables, meat, fish, etc. already contain enough sodium for the body's daily needs. Salt deficiency only occurs in special cases such as: people with severe, prolonged diarrhea, people who do heavy labor in hot conditions for many hours, athletes who train at high intensity for long periods of time.

The habit of eating salty foods increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, is related to obesity, stomach cancer, osteoporosis, kidney stones, and aggravates asthma.

HCDC recommends that people should prioritize boiled and steamed dishes instead of braised, stewed, or roasted dishes; make use of natural spices such as lemon, chili, pepper, garlic, onion, herbs, etc. to enhance flavor without adding much salt; carefully read the nutritional ingredients, especially the sodium content on product labels when buying...

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