High sodium diet can impact brain health
A Canadian study has found a high salt diet combined with a sedentary lifestyle can be detrimental to cognitive health in later life.
The study, from the University of Toronto in Canada, is the first to link salt to the deterioration of brain health in the elderly.
Researchers tracked salt consumption and levels of physical activity of 1262 healthy men and women aged between 67 and 84 over a 3 year period. They simultaneously assessed the mental health of the participants once a year, using battery tests usually conducted to test for Alzheimer's.
"We have generated important evidence that sodium intake not only impacts heart health, but brain health as well," says Dr Alexandra Fiocco, who led the research.
"The results of our study showed that a diet high in sodium, combined with little exercise, was especially detrimental to the cognitive performance of older adults."
Proactive
"These findings are important because they help people know they can be proactive in retaining healthy brains as they age," says another researcher, Carol Greenwood.
"Baby boomers especially need to know that sitting on the couch watching television for long periods of time and eating salty snacks is not good for them."
For full article from the journal Neurobiology of Aging, click here
