Higher sodium intake was associated with faster decline in episodic memory in men, according to new research from Edith Cowan University and a study published in Neurobiology of Aging.
The study tracked 1,208 participants over 72 months and compared sodium intake at the start of the study with changes in cognitive function over time. Researchers found that men with higher sodium intake showed faster decline in episodic recall, the type of memory used to remember personal experiences and past events. No such association was found in women.
ECU Adjunct Researcher Dr. Samantha Gardener said the male participants also had higher blood pressure, which is influenced by sodium intake. She said further work is needed to understand why the pattern appeared in men and how sodium intake might be considered as one modifiable lifestyle factor in delaying Alzheimer’s disease onset.
According to the study material, episodic memory helps people remember things such as where they parked the car or details from a first day at school. The findings suggest that diets high in salt may affect cognitive health as well as cardiovascular health.
Dr. Gardener said the mechanism behind the association is still unclear. She said high sodium intake may contribute to brain inflammation, blood vessel damage, and reduced blood flow to the brain, but said more study is needed to confirm how the process works.
Australian health guidance recommends that adults consume no more than 2,000 milligrams of sodium a day. High sodium intake has long been associated with elevated blood pressure and greater cardiovascular risk.
“Our findings provide early evidence of a link between higher sodium intake and cognitive function, but more research is needed to fully understand how and why this relationship exists,” Dr. Gardener said.
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