Dementia is a health problem that makes people forget things and have trouble thinking clearly.
It’s a common problem in Japan, and right now, there’s no cure for it. As more and more people get older around the world, finding a cure for dementia becomes more important.
People with dementia are not happy with the treatments they have now. This is a big issue, and we need to fix it.
Salt: Good or Bad?
Everyone knows about salt. It’s a common food seasoning that we use every day. But too much salt is bad for our health. It can lead to high blood pressure.
To avoid health problems, the World Health Organization says people should not have more than 5 grams of salt per day.
Scientists have also found out that too much salt can make people forget things more easily.
They found out that a hormone called “angiotensin II” (Ang II) and a lipid molecule called “prostaglandin E2” (PGE2) are involved in high blood pressure and could harm our nerves. But, they are not sure if these systems also cause memory problems from eating too much salt.
New Findings on Salt and Memory
A recent study published in the British Journal of Pharmacology tried to understand this issue. A group of scientists from Japan wanted to find out how too much salt causes memory problems and high blood pressure. They also wanted to know how Ang II and PGE2 are involved in this.
Hisayoshi Kubota, a scientist from Fujita Health University in Japan, says that too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, memory problems, and dementia. But, he says we need to understand better how these problems are connected.
The scientists looked at how too much salt changes a protein called “tau.” This protein is very important in Alzheimer’s disease, a type of dementia. If too many phosphates get added to tau, it can lead to memory problems.
Studying Salt in Mice
The scientists gave mice a lot of salt in their drinking water for 12 weeks. They then checked their blood pressure and looked at how their brains changed.
They focused on two parts of the brain, the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus. These parts are important for memory and emotions.
They found many changes in the mice’s brains. For example, they saw that the mice had more phosphates added to tau.
They also saw changes in other proteins, like “CaMKII” and “PSD95.” These proteins are important for brain signaling and connections between brain cells.
Interestingly, when they gave the mice a drug called “losartan” to lower their blood pressure, some of these changes went away. The same thing happened when they turned off a gene called EP1 in the mice.
What Does This Mean?
These findings suggest that Ang II and PGE2 might be involved in causing memory problems from too much salt.
They also suggest that we might be able to use these systems to find new treatments for dementia caused by high blood pressure.
One of the scientists, Prof. Mouri, says this study is very important for Japan. The cost of treating dementia in Japan is getting higher and higher every year.
As the number of old people in Japan increases, finding new ways to prevent and treat dementia becomes even more crucial.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about how the Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health, and Omega-3 fats and carotenoid supplements could improve memory.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about antioxidants that could help reduce dementia risk, and higher magnesium intake could help benefit brain health.
The study was published in the British Journal of Pharmacology.
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