In the hypothalamus, a deep structure of the brain, an excess of salt would decrease the blood circulation in the brain. This is the surprising conclusion of a recently published University of Georgia study.
When neurons fire in our brain, they need glucose, the fuel for our cells, and oxygen. Both are transported by the blood and to ensure a supply that meets the demand of the neurons, a set of biological mechanisms is put in place and increases the debitdebit blood. The phenomenon has been observed in the cortexcortex cerebral, the most surface layer of the brain which is also called mattermatter grey. Researchers at the University of Georgia (United States) were interested in the same phenomenon, but in a deeper structure, the hypothalamus. And what they observed is rather surprising.
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In the hypothalamus, salt reduces blood flow
Let’s look into the supraoptic nucleus of the hypothalamus. This brain region houses neurons whose main activity is secretionsecretion vasopressin, an antidiuretic hormone important in controlling blood salt levels. If the increased blood flow around the neurons promotes their activity, then excess blood salt should be linked to the increased blood flow to feed the neurons which activate to eliminate this anomaliesanomalies.
Scientists have observed the opposite phenomenon. In the supraoptic nucleus of the hypothalamus, too much salt in the blood leads to vasodilatationvasodilatation and significantly decreases its flow, to such an extent that locally, the cells are deprived of oxygen (hypoxiahypoxia). « When we eat very salty, the levels of sodiumsodium in the body remain high for a long time. We believe that hypoxia is a mechanism that enhances the ability of neurons to respond to a stimulationstimulation continuous saline, allowing them to remain active over a long period of time “, explains Javier E. Stern, neuroscientist and director of this research. These results raise interesting questions regarding hypertension which, in a significant number of cases, is due to a diet that is too high in salt.
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