According to Edith Cowen University scientists, consuming a large amount of salt can cause memory acceleration in men. The results of the study were published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging (NBA).
1208 people participated in the research and were followed for six years. The scientists analyzed the diet of the participants and monitored the changes in their cognitive function. It was found that men who consumed high amounts of sodium (a component of salt) experienced faster memory loss than those who limited their salt intake. No such relationship was found in women.
This refers to episodic memory, the ability to remember personal events and everyday details. It is often one of the first to suffer from age-related cognitive decline.
The authors suggest that excess salt can negatively affect the brain through several mechanisms. Specifically, it can increase inflammation, damage blood vessels, and impair blood flow to brain tissue. The researchers emphasize that their results do not prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship, but they do point to a possible role of diet in maintaining cognitive health. They suggest that controlling salt intake may be a simple way to reduce the risk of age-related memory loss, but these results need further confirmation.
