People often discuss the importance of monitoring sodium intake. This is supported in current medical research that suggests higher levels of sodium intake could lead to health problems such as higher blood pressure and higher likelihood of stroke (Aburto et. al., 2013). But what about the relationship between sodium intake and mental health?
The relationship between sodium intake and mental health
In one study, university researchers in Israel used the data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007–2008 of the American population and examined the benefits of added sodium intake (Goldstein and Leshem, et al., 2014). It was discovered that added sodium intake in women related to a self-reported decrease in depression.
Interestingly, similar findings were found in a study led by Japanese university researchers in the biomedical faculty who examined the association of sodium intake on rural community-dwelling men in Japan on their level of mental distress (Shimizu, et al., 2015). Mental distress was measured as anxiety and depressive symptoms. Findings of this study indicated that there was a negative association between sodium intake and mental distress. That is, the lower the levels of sodium intake, the higher the self-report of mental distress.
It appears that there are some benefits of added sodium intake on our mental health. However, it appears to be in conflict with research that suggests added sodium intake could have a negative impact on our physical health. Like all health information, this is something to be taken with a grain of salt.
If you are interested in further discussions on your mental health, psychologists at the Centre for Clinical Psychology are here to help. You can get in contact with the clinic at (03) 9077 0122.
References
Aburto, N. J., Ziolkovska, A., Hooper, L., Elliott, P., Cappuccio, F. P., & Meerpohl, J. J. (2013). Effect of lower sodium intake on health: Systematic review and meta-analyses. BMJ, 346, https://doi.org/ 10.1136/bmj.f1326
Goldstein, P., & Leshem, M. (2014). Dietary sodium, added salt, and serum sodium associations with growth and depression in the U.S. general population. Appetite, 79, 83–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2014.04.016
Shimizu, Y., Kadota, K., Koyamatsu, J., Yamanashi, H., Nagayoshi, M., Noda, M., Nishimura, T., Tayama, J., Nagata, Y., & Maeda, T. (2015). Salt intake and mental distress among rural community-dwelling Japanese men. Journal of Physiological Anthropology, 34(1), 26. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40101-015-0064-4
