- Using mouse models, Florey researchers have discovered a potential ‘sodium switch’ in a region of the brain that could help regulate salt intake.
- Their findings suggest there could be a difference between the body’s actual need for sodium and the desire to eat salty food.
- Understanding this difference could lead to new ways to tackle salt overconsumption and improve health outcomes.
Sodium is an essential nutrient that helps keep us healthy, but regularly consuming foods high in salt can increase our sodium levels and lead to a range of detrimental health problems, such as heart failure and stroke.
Researchers from The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health have studied a subset of neurons in the region of the brain called the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) to better understand the link between the brain and salt cravings.
The pre-clinical study on mice found BNST brain cells that express enkephalin (a naturally occurring peptide produced by specific brain neurons which acts as chemical messenger) play a role in regulating salt appetite, but only when sodium levels in the body are low.
When sodium levels in the mice models were normal, these cells had no impact on preference for salt.
The research has been published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Lead researcher, Dr Roberta Goncalves Anversa, said the findings demonstrate BNST cells expressing enkephalin may act as a potential ‘sodium switch’ during times of need.
“We also found connections between these BNST neurons and other regions of the brain, including the amygdala, thalamus and hypothalamus – providing a roadmap to fully explain the overall brain network that regulates salt intake,” Dr Anversa said.
Senior author and Deputy Director of The Florey Professor Andrew Lawrence said salt overconsumption is a major global health problem.
“Our diets tend to be high in salt because of an overreliance of processed foods and this contributes to a range of health problems, including high blood pressure, heart and kidney disease,” Professor Lawrence said.
“It is therefore imperative that we understand whether and how signals in the brain are driving us to eat salty food.
“If we can control these signals, we might be able to change behaviour to reduce our salt intake and improve our overall health and wellbeing.”
