• While the physical effects of excess salt intake are well documented, scientists have yet to understand how high salt consumption impacts emotional well-being.

• A recent European study showed that a salt-rich diet can double the peak stress response in mice.

• Researchers are also looking into how high salt intake may induce anxiety and aggression.

• They hope to see governments and food manufacturers collaborate to reduce salt in processed foods.

Salt is known to improve the taste of many foods, which may tempt consumers to buy more processed, salt-laden products. Common processed food include commercially packaged bread, cereals, deli meats, soups, cheese, and instant noodles.

Increasing evidence shows that too much salt in the diet can wreak havoc on the body’s cardiovascular and renal systems.

Recently, scientists at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland theorized that high salt consumption might also impose stress on the brain. The results from the experiment showed that high salt intake could elevate stress hormone production.

Matthew Bailey (https://www.ed.ac.uk/profile/matthew-bailey), Ph.D., lead author of the study and professor of renal physiology at the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Cardiovascular Science, told Medical News Today:

“We are what we eat, and understanding how high-salt food changes our mental health is an important step to improving well-being. We know that eating too much salt damages our heart, blood vessels, and kidneys. This study now tells us that high salt in our food also changes the way our brain handles stress.”

The research team hopes that their work will encourage more public health policies that promote the reduction of salt in processed foods.