For a long time now, it has been thought that the excess use of salt has a negative effect on human health. Furthermore, it has been known for years that over-salting dishes is harmful to people with high blood pressure.
It is also known that too much salt is harmful to the cardiovascular system. According to more recent research however, it has been made clear that salt has another negative effect - one that affects the brain.
Excess intake of salt may lead to loss of intellect, or simply stated - to gradual dumbing down.
According to the latest research, overuse of salt leads to gradual loss of intellectual potential and the ability of your brain to react correctly and quickly enough.
In practical terms, this is seen in the slowing down of the brain activity in people who regularly consume over-salted food when compared to those who use salt more moderately.
In experiments made by researchers from Canada, which lasted 3 years, the intellectual capabilities of 1200 people aged 67 or higher were studied.
The eating habits of all the participants in the experiment were also studied during the 3 years, with charts showing the amount of salt that each person consumed daily. At the end of the study, the results showed that the more salt a person ate the more his intellectual capabilities decreased.
With aging, salt has a more hazardous effect than in younger people. Whenever a person eats too much salt and at the same time leads a sedentary lifestyle, this inevitably has an effect on their intellect, with them losing some of their abilities.
With increased salt consumption, the reactions of the brain slow down and memory decreases much faster than in normal salt intake that is required for the body. That's why you shouldn't go overboard with salt and should not over-salt dishes, especially if there are elderly people in your family.
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