Adding an extra pinch of salt to your meal may do more than affect your heart. A new study suggests that people who frequently add salt to their food face a significantly higher risk of depression.
The findings add a mental health dimension to long-standing warnings about high salt consumption.
Scientists from Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital analyzed the dietary habits of more than 15,000 adults to explore a possible connection between salt consumption and mental health.
Their findings revealed that individuals who consumed the highest amounts of salt had a 26% higher risk of developing depression compared to those who used it sparingly.
The research was published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience, where experts reported a significant positive association between frequent salting at the dinner table and depression risk.
How salt may affect mental health
While the researchers did not pinpoint the exact biological mechanism, they proposed several possible explanations.
According to the study, excessive salt intake may overstimulate the biological system responsible for regulating the body's stress response. This overstimulation could lead to an overproduction of stress hormones.
The scientists also noted that high salt consumption may increase inflammation in the body. Inflammation, in turn, can impact areas of the brain that control emotional balance and mood regulation.
Focus on table salt, not cooking salt
Importantly, the study specifically examined how often participants added salt to their food at the table.
Volunteers were asked to choose from options ranging from “rarely” to “very often” when describing their salting habits. The data did not include salt used during cooking, focusing solely on discretionary salt added before eating.
Researchers emphasized that frequent table salt use showed a measurable association with depression risk in the general population.
For more than two decades, health experts have advised reducing salt intake to lower deaths from heart disease and related conditions.
This new research suggests that the impact of high sodium consumption may extend beyond cardiovascular health and into mental well-being.
The authors concluded that reducing the habit of adding extra salt at the table could be an effective strategy to lower the risk of depression among adults.
