New studies suggest that eating too much sodium can lead to depression, based on results from a study conducted on mice. It took from 5 to 8 weeks for the investigation to come to an end. Its main purpose was to determine the impacts of different sodium concentrations on mental health and uncovered serious ramifications for dietary habits.
The study divided groups of mice into two diets: a normal sodium diet and a high-sodium diet. The latter group ate sodium amounts far exceeding the current 2,300 mg/day limit. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, normal, healthy adults should consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. This level is approximately the size of 1 tsp of salt. An item can be called ‘low-sodium’ only if it has 140 mg of sodium or less in a serving.
High sodium intake is already well established to negatively impact cardiovascular and renal health. In this study, the authors found that treatment caused a depletion of γδT cells, an immune cell type discussed below. This reduction occurred as a result of the use of an anti-γδTCR antibody. This novel finding provides some mechanistic evidence to explain the emerging connection between sodium intake, immune response, and mental health outcomes.
Karen Z. Berg, MS, RD, CSO, CDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist, painted a dire picture of the consequences of excessive sodium intake. This concern is of utmost danger to those who have pre-existing health conditions.
“High sodium intake is especially bad for your heart and kidneys. People who have heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, or fatty liver need to really watch their sodium intake so that they don’t make their conditions worse.” – Karen Z. Berg, MS, RD, CSO, CDN
Although the study’s findings are encouraging, experts recommend against jumping to conclusions about what the results mean. Robert Hostoffer, DO, immediate past board member of the American Osteopathic Association. Please note that this is an example of machine translation: Retain the original picture, remove this line.
“In general, it is difficult to interpret data from mouse studies due to their difference in nomenclature of their immune systems, both soluble and nonsoluble components.” – Robert Hostoffer, DO
Berg is confident that lowering salt intake would have a positive effect on depression in humans. He hopes more research will be conducted to investigate this possible link. She noted that depression is a multifactorial disease and there are many things at play.
“Although these findings were in mice, it is reasonable to investigate the effect of limiting salt intake on depression in humans. It should be noted that depression is a complex, multi-factorial condition… In addition to dietary salt restriction, this study identified that new treatments targeting IL-17A or gamma-delta T cells may also be targets for pharmacologic management of depression.” – Karen Z. Berg, MS, RD, CSO, CDN
As awareness grows regarding the potential mental health impacts of dietary choices, individuals are encouraged to monitor their sodium intake carefully. The dietary guidelines are a critical resource for advancing health and preventing disease.
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