High-Salt Diet Could Lead to Brain Inflammation & Raised Blood Pressure

But it tastes so good.

A McGill study of rats found that a high-salt diet triggered brain inflammation and drove up blood pressure.

These findings suggest that the brain could be a "missing link" in the understanding of types of hypertension that are traditionally attributed to the kidneys. Hypertension — which is often symptomless — currently affects two-thirds of people over 60 and contributes to 10 million deaths worldwide each year. It also increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.

“This is new evidence that high blood pressure can originate in the brain, opening the door for developing treatments that act on the brain."

— Dr. Masha Prager-Khoutorsky

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