Workings of working memory detailed

 Cedars-Sinai investigators have discovered how brain cells responsible for working memory -- the type required to remember a phone number long enough to dial it -- coordinate intentional focus and short-term storage of information.

The study detailing their discovery was published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature.

"We have identified for the first time a group of neurons, influenced by two types of brain waves, that coordinate cognitive control and the storage of sensory information in working memory," said Jonathan Daume, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in the Rutishauser Lab at Cedars-Sinai and first author of the study. "These neurons don't contain or store information, but are crucial to the storage of short-term memories.

Working memory, which requires the brain to store information for only seconds, is fragile and requires continued focus to be maintained, said Ueli Rutishauser, PhD, director of the Center for Neural Science and Medicine at Cedars-Sinai and senior author of the study. It can be affected by different diseases and conditions.

"In disorders such as Alzheimer's disease or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, it is often not memory storage, but rather the ability to focus on and retain a memory once it is formed that is the problem," said Rutishauser, who is a professor of Neurosurgery, Neurology and Biomedical Sciences at Cedars-Sinai. "We believe that understanding the control aspect of working memory will be fundamental for developing new treatments for these and other neurological conditions."

To explore how working memory functions, investigators recorded the brain activity of 36 hospitalized patients who had electrodes surgically implanted in their brains as part of a procedure to diagnose epilepsy. The team recorded the activity of individual brain cells and brain waves while the patients performed a task that required use of working memory.

On a computer screen, patients were shown either a single photo or a series of three photos of various people, animals, objects or landscapes. Next, the screen went blank for just under three seconds, requiring patients to remember the photos they just saw. They were then shown another photo and asked to decide whether it was the one (or one of the three) they had seen before.

sources-science daily

A fragment of human brain, mapped in exquisite detail

 A cubic millimeter of brain tissue may not sound like much. But considering that tiny square contains 57,000 cells, 230 millimeters of blood vessels, and 150 million synapses, all amounting to 1,400 terabytes of data, Harvard and Google researchers have just accomplished something enormous.   

A Harvard team led by Jeff Lichtman, the Jeremy R. Knowles Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology and newly appointed dean of science, has co-created with Google researchers the largest synaptic-resolution, 3D reconstruction of a piece of human brain to date, showing in vivid detail each cell and its web of neural connections in a piece of human temporal cortex about half the size of a rice grain.

The feat, published in Science, is the latest in a nearly 10-year collaboration with scientists at Google Research, who combine Lichtman’s electron microscopy imaging with AI algorithms to color-code and reconstruct the extremely complex wiring of mammal brains. The paper’s three co-first authors are former Harvard postdoctoral researcher Alexander Shapson-Coe; Micha? Januszewski of Google Research, and Harvard postdoctoral researcher Daniel Berger.

The collaboration’s ultimate goal, supported by the National Institutes of Health BRAIN Initiative, is to create a high-resolution map of a whole mouse brain’s neural wiring, which would entail about 1,000 times the amount of data they just produced from the 1-cubic-millimeter fragment of human cortex.  

“The word ‘fragment’ is ironic,” Lichtman said. “A terabyte is, for most people, gigantic, yet a fragment of a human brain – just a miniscule, teeny-weeny little bit of human brain – is still thousands of terabytes.”  

The latest map in Science contains never-before-seen details of brain structure, including a rare but powerful set of axons connected by up to 50 synapses. The team also noted oddities in the tissue, such as a small number of axons that formed extensive whorls. Since their sample was taken from a patient with epilepsy, they’re unsure if such unusual formations are pathological or simply rare.

Lichtman’s field is “connectomics,” which, analogous to genomics, seeks to create comprehensive catalogues of brain structure, down to individual cells and wiring. Such completed maps would light the way toward new insights into brain function and disease, about which scientists still know very little.

sources-science daily

A 'balanced' diet is better than a vegetarian one in supporting brain health

 

• Dietary patterns and food choices impact brain function, but the specific relationship between food and the brain is complex.
• Researchers are interested in finding out what diets optimize brain functioning and health.
• One study examined four dietary patterns and found that a balanced diet containing several food types saw the most overall benefit in brain health.

What people eat affects their well-being, but sometimes it is hard to tell the precise effects of diet on health.

Recently, a study published in Nature Mental HealthTrusted Source explored how dietary patterns impacted a number of areas of brain health, including mental health, cognitive function, metabolic biomarkers, and brain structure as measured using MRI.

In their analysis of almost 182,000 participants, researchers found that those who followed a balanced diet were likelier to have better mental health and cognitive functioning.

They also noted genetic differences that may have influenced the outcomes among different dietary groups.

While research will continue in this area, the study points to the importance of making wise nutritional choices to improve brain function and mental health outcomes.

How diet can impact brain function, mental health

People can develop preferences for certain foods, which can impact overall dietary patterns over time. Researchers are interested in discovering how these preferences can influence brain function and mental health, and whether specific diets are better for mental health.

Some research supports the notion that certain diets and food choices are better for mental well-being. In contrast, others may contribute to poor mental health.

For example, following a diet with high levels of fruits, vegetables, and fish may help to decrease the riskTrusted Source of depression.

Similarly, eating more fruits and vegetables, and getting essential micronutrients may help reduce anxiety riskTrusted Source, while eating a diet high in fat and refined carbohydrates may increase this risk.

Diet can also impact how well the brain functions. For example, following the Mediterranean diet may help slow cognitive decline.

Isabel M. Vazquez, MS, RD, a registered dietitian at Memorial Hermann Health System, who was not involved in the recent study, noted the following to Medical News Today:

“We know that diet plays a significant role in brain health. Research suggests that diets rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats can support cognitive function and reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Conversely, diets high in processed foods, saturated fats, and sugars may have negative effects on the brain.”

“Previous research has consistently shown that diet plays a fundamental role in brain health, influencing cognitive functions and emotional well-being. Nutrient-rich, balanced diets are often linked with reduced risk of cognitive decline and better mental health outcome,” Vazquez added.

For the current study, researchers focused on four main dietary patterns by looking at participants’ food preferences:

1. starch-free or reduced starch — this group preferred fruits, vegetables, and protein but showed a lower preference for starchy foods like bread or pasta
2. vegetarian — this group preferred fruits and vegetables but showed a lower protein preference
3. high-protein and low-fiber — this group preferred snacks and protein foods and had a lower preference for fruits and vegetables
4. balanced diet — this group showed similar preferences in all food groups.

The researchers found consistency with food preferences and actual food consumption traits.

The connection between diet and the brain

The researchers who conducted the current study looked at data from the UK Biobank, focusing on food-preference data. Researchers asked about food preferences in several categories, including dairy, fruits, flavorings, alcohol, meat, snacks, starches, and vegetables.

They then looked at the association between these dietary preferences and several brain-related outcomes. First, they assessed mental health, collecting data on components including anxiety and depressive symptoms, mania symptoms, psychotic experience, trauma, self-harm, and well-being.

Higher scores indicated poorer mental health, except for the well-being measurement, where a higher score suggested better mental well-being.

Researchers further evaluated cognitive function with several tests, looked at blood biochemistry and metabolic biomarkers, and examined brain structure via MRI.

Finally, they looked at polygenic risk scoresTrusted Source for mental disorders, which measure how genetics factor into risk for mental illness, and did a gene enrichment analysis.

The study found that the balanced dietary subtype saw the most benefit of all four groups — those in the balanced dietary subtype had lower scores for most mental health measurements and higher scores for well-being.

This group also had the best-measured reaction time, while the high-protein, low-fiber diet group scored the best on a cogntion test involving symbol substitution

People in the balanced dietary group also had higher levels of gray matter in certain areas of the brain compared to the high-protein, low-fiber group.

However, the vegetarian group also showed higher levels of gray matter in certain brain regions.

The balanced dietary group also had a relatively lower genetic risk for most mental disorders. In contrast, the vegetarian group had a higher genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and several other mental disorders.

The high-protein and low-fiber group had a higher genetic risk for ischemic stroke.

A balanced diet is best for brain health

Researchers also found that several genes were different between the balanced group and the high-protein, low-fiber group.

These genes were “enriched in biological processes related to mental health and cognition,” which points to how genetics may be involved in the observed outcomes.

Overall, the results show how following a balanced diet may help improve brain health and mental well-being.

Molly Rapozo, RDN, registered dietician nutritionist, and senior nutrition and health educator at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA, not involved in the research, shared her thoughts on the findings with MNT.

“This study found that a ‘healthier’ diet with balanced preferences in various food categories — fruit, vegetables, starches, protein, and snack foods were noted — is associated with better mental health status, higher levels of cognitive functions and fewer risks of mental disorders,” she explained.

“It’s exciting to see this result in such a large study (181,990 participants) with lots of data — behavioral, neuroimaging, biochemical and genetic analyses. It was also found that high-protein, low-fiber diets with an emphasis on snack foods were associated with lower well-being scores, higher levels of inflammatory markers, and an increased stroke risk. These findings appear to agree with what we already know about diet and brain health.”

– Molly Rapozo, RDN

 Study limitations and clinical implications

This study adds to the evidence suggesting that what people eat affects multiple areas of health. However, the study also has certain limitations.

First, it utilized data from the UK Biobank, which does not entirely reflect the diversity of the population in the United Kingdom, where the Biobank collects these data.

This is as the cohort was recruited over 20 years ago, and while the cohort reflects the ethnic make-up of the UK in 2001, this has changed since then. The cohort is also comprised of older individuals, and all members of this cohort were between the ages of 53–87.

Then, the research focused mainly on healthy individuals. Those who responded to food-like questionnaires and those who did not may have also influenced the results.

The nature of the study also means that it cannot prove causality. The average age of participants was around 71 years old, so future research could focus on younger participants.

Researchers further note that while they were able to examine levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, they did not examine levels of tryptophanTrusted Source, which is linked to mental health and cognitive function.

They also did not gather detailed information on how omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids were involved in the dietary patterns. These choices may have led to overlooked data, as these elements are important to serotonin synthesis and, thus, to overall mental health.

Finally, some data collection relied on participant reporting, which is not always factual. Researchers also focused on food preferences rather than data on the actual foods that participants ate, and they used simplified measurements of mental health factors.

Nevertheless, even taking these shortcomings into account, the results point to the importance of following healthy dietary patterns to support positive outcomes for brain health.

Source - Medical News Today

Exercise may help reverse aging by reducing fat buildup in tissues

 

• Certain changes occur in the body with age.
• Researchers are seeking to understand changes that happen with aging, what they mean, and what people can do to modify these changes.
• A recent study showed that tissue in older mice and humans has a buildup of a specific lipid called bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate (BMP).
• The researchers found that exercise can help decrease this buildup of fat in humans.

Some changes in the body are inevitable as people get older. However, researchers are still trying to fully understand all the changes that happen and what they mean for the health of aging adults.

A studyTrusted Source published in Nature AgingTrusted Source found that a certain lipid starts to build up in muscle tissue with age.

The researchers first identified the lipid using mouse tissues and then found similar results in human muscles. They then found that levels of this lipid could be reduced via exercise among postmenopausal women.

The results point to another possible benefit of exercise and the need for more research regarding this lipid buildup.

How aging affects fat buildup 

The researchers of the current study note that studying complex lipids (fats) may help with understanding age-related disease and overall longevity.

For that, they first examined ten different tissues in young and old mice to understand age-related differences in lipids. They found that more lipids began accumulating with age in most of the tissues they examined. The primary lipids they found were called Bis(monoacylglycero)phosphates (BMPs).

Next, researchers wanted to see if a similar BMP accumulation occurred in humans. They collected muscle biopsies from younger men and women between twenty and thirty years old and older men and women between sixty-five and eighty. While there were differences between the muscle tissue samples of men and women, researchers did find a buildup of BMPs in older participants.

Study authors Georges E. Janssens, Frederic M. Vaz, and Riekelt H. Houkooper noted to Medical News Today the following possible significance of the buildup of BMP with age:

“BMPs — the lipid we found to accumulate with age — have previously emerged in literature as markers of disease or stress. BMPs accumulate in various diseases, including chronic kidney disease, diseases related to cholesteral accumulation and vascular diseases, and certain genetic metabolic disorders. It may turn out that BMP levels will serve as a reference marker for healthy aging but more work is required for this.”

 Exercise reduces ‘complex’ lipids in tissues

Next, researchers wanted to see if exercise could influence BMP levels. For this portion of the study, researchers included 12 postmenopausal women between the ages of 45 and 70. These women were overweight and were doing less than three hours of exercise each week.

They conducted a randomized, cross-over intervention utilizing three different activity regimens: a sitting regimen, which involved sitting for fourteen hours a day, an exercising regimen, which involved exercising for one hour each day, and a standing regimen, which involved standing for three hours each day and walking for two hours each day. The participants did each regimen for four days and had a muscle biopsy taken on the fifth day.

The researchers found that even over the short intervention period, levels of BMP were lower following exercise intervention.

The study authors further noted the following highlights of the research:

“While it’s known how simple lipids (e.g. cholesterol) contribute to aging and disease (e.g. atherosclerosis), little is known on how ‘complex’ lipids (with 3+ chemical moieties with polar properties, e.g. phospholipids) contribute. We set out to explore the relationship between complex lipids and aging… There was a nearly tissue-wide accumulation of one lipid, bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate (BMP) in mice, and the same change was conserved in human muscle (in both men and women), which was astonishing. Taking this further, performing a short-term exercise intervention in postmenopausal women revealed that levels of this lipid could be reduced following exercise.”

Study limitations

This research does have a number of limitations. First, the initial research utilized mice, which is not always applicable to humans. However, further analysis of human muscle tissue seems to confirm similar findings. The researchers note that they also only used male mice, and there are differences in lipid metabolism between male and female mice.

They only used a small number of people for their biopsy collection and only looked at one tissue type, so future research could include even more information in this area. The exercise intervention only included women, so future research, including mixed groups, could also be helpful.

The exercise interventions also only lasted a short time, so it could not look at the long-term effects of exercise on BMP levels. The researchers also acknowledge that all lipids may increase some in the body with age, but they suspect that BMP increases much more than other lipids.

Finally, researchers had limited data on the use of lipid-lowering medication, so future research could see how the use of these medications influences BMP levels.

The researchers further note that more research is required to understand the increase of BMPs with age and whether this is helpful or harmful to the body. The study authors also shared with MNT the following insights into future research in this area:

“The next steps are to better understand why the accumulation of BMP occurs in the first place (is it due to more production of BMP, or that BMP can not be broken down?), and then to better understand if it is a detrimental change happening with age (causing disease) or a beneficial one (a protective response the body elicits, in response to other damage occurring with age).”

 Exercising for older adults

The results of this study point to another potential reason for older adults to exercise regularly if possible. Paunel Vukasinov, MD, board certified internist with Medical Offices of Manhattan, who was not involved in the study, noted that it was still too early to make assumptions about the long-term effects of these lipids.

“The study brings forth an interesting finding regarding accumulation of certain lipids that occurs with aging and how this accumulation impacts the aging process . It is still early to determine the long term impact of these lipids, and further study is necessary. This study further underscores the importance of encouraging regular physical activity, especially as we age. Regular exercise maintains strong muscle which preserves mobility, improves cognitive function and sleep, and even has a positive impact on energy and mood.”
— Paunel Vukasinov, MD

While further research is still required, older adults can also consider the many other benefits of regular exercise. For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) notes that exercise can help decrease older adults’ risk for fallsTrusted Source, improve symptoms of anxiety and depression, improve sleep, and reduce the risk of all-cause mortality. It can also help build strengthTrusted Source, increase energy, and decrease the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Older adults can seek proper guidance to develop individual exercise plans that allow them to stay safe while maximizing their independence and well-being. As noted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), exercise should involve varietyTrusted Source, including aerobics, muscle strengthening, and activities that help with balance.

Source - Medical News Today

Could cutting down calories influence longevity?

 

• Animal studies suggest that restricting calories may prolong life, and there is some evidence of a similar effect in people, but experts do not yet understand exactly why.
• Telomeres are sections at the end of chromosomes that shorten as cells age, and a new study has investigated whether caloric restriction might slow this process and, therefore, the rate of cell aging.
• In the study, people on restricted calories lost more telomere length initially, but the shortening then slowed.
• The researchers plan to follow up participants after 10 years to investigate whether prolonged caloric restriction slows telomere shortening further.

It is well known that diet and exercise affect health, and research suggestsTrusted Source that it can also affect the speed and progression of aging. Primary aging is the innate. process that all people experience; secondary aging is the acceleration of the aging process by excess food intake, lack of exercise, and disease.

It is this secondary aging that may be affected by diet, and studies in animalsTrusted Source have found that restricting calorie intake can slow the process, reduce disease, and prolong life.

Although several mechanisms have been proposed to explain this effect, there is no firm evidence showing why caloric restriction might prolong life.

Telomeres, aging, and caloric restriction

As cells age, telomeresTrusted Source — the protective lengths of DNATrusted Source at the ends of chromosomesTrusted Source — shorten until, eventually, the cell dies.

Cell death is a feature of aging so, if cell death was delayed by decreasing the rate at which telomeres shorten, might this delay aging? One studyTrusted Source, in mice, has demonstrated this, showing that caloric restriction slows the shortening of telomeres and prolongs lifespan.

Now, researchers from Penn State University have analyzed data from the Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy (CALERIETrusted Source) trial to investigate whether a similar effect might be seen in people.

They found that, initially, caloric restriction accelerated telomere shortening, but after a year, it began to slow the process. At the end of 2 years, the calorie restricted and control group had lost similar telomere length.

Their work appears in Aging CellTrusted Source.

Sebnem Unluisler, chief longevity officer and genetic engineer at the London Regenerative Institute in the United Kingdom, not involved in this research, told Medical News Today:

“The study used a method to track changes in telomere length over time with caloric restriction. Initially, those eating less saw faster telomere shortening, but this slowed down later. Surprisingly, after 2 years, both groups showed minimal difference, suggesting a possible plateau effect. This highlights why long-term studies are vital to understand aging-related processes fully.”

Restricting calorie intake in healthy adults

The CALERIE trial recruited 220 participants, of whom 175 were included in this data analysis. All participants were aged between 21 and 50, healthy, and had a body mass index (BMI)Trusted Source of between 22 and 28 kilograms per square meter (kg/m2), indicative of healthy weight to overweight.

Two-thirds of the participants committed to 25% calorie restriction for 24 months, with the rest as controls who continued with their normal diet.

The researchers advised all participants to undertake moderate exercise for 30 minutes, at least 5 times a week, but not to alter their activity levels during the course of the 2-year study. They provided meals to those in the caloric restriction group for the first 27 days to help them with food selection and portion size to ensure adequate intake of essential nutrients throughout the study.

Over the course of the study, the average calorie restriction fell short of the 25% aim, with participants achieving a mean reduction of 11.9%.

At the start, and every 2 weeks throughout the study, the researchers recorded the weight of all participants. During the first 12 months, those on caloric restriction lost weight, then their weight stabilized over the next 12 months. Anyone whose BMI went below 18.5 (underweight) discontinued the study.

Previous analyses of the CALERIE data have shown that caloric restriction had some health benefits, including reductions in total blood cholesterolTrusted Source, blood pressure, and inflammatory markersTrusted Source. However, caloric restriction may have a negative effect on bone density and muscle massTrusted Source.

Effect of caloric restriction on telomeres

The researchers measured telomere length from blood samples taken at the start of the study, at 12 months, and at 24 months.

They found that in the first 12 months, telomere length decreased faster in people on caloric restriction. In the second year, the rate of decrease slowed to a lower rate than that of control subjects.

A key to healthier aging?

Idan Shalev, PhD, associate professor of biobehavioral health at Penn State, who led the research, said that the 2-year study was not long enough to draw firm conclusions about the effect of caloric restriction on telomere length.

“This research shows the complexity of how caloric restriction affects telomere loss,” he said in a press release. “We hypothesized that telomere loss would be slower among people on caloric restriction. Instead, we found that people on caloric restriction lost telomeres more rapidly at first and then more slowly after their weight stabilized.”

The team will follow up the cohort at 10 years to see what happens to telomere length over this longer time period.

Unluisler told MNT that telomere dynamics was probably just one factor in aging: “This study adds valuable insights into how diet affects cellular aging. It emphasizes the complex relationship between genes, the environment, and lifestyle choices in shaping health outcomes.”

“Future research should combine different fields to create personalized approaches for healthy aging and disease prevention,” she added.

The researchers explained why this might have happened:

“[T]he stress of weight loss that accompanies early-phase CR [caloric restriction] accelerates TL [telomere] attrition, which is thereafter mitigated or ablated altogether as new homeostatic norms are established,” they wrote.

Unluisler suggested that: “Eating less could reduce stress and inflammation in the body, slowing down telomere shortening. It might also help cells repair themselves better.”

Over the 2-year study, there was no significant difference in telomere length change between the 2 groups.

Source - Medical News Today

 

Most people with heart disease consume excessive amounts of sodium, study finds

 

• A new study found that people with cardiovascular disease consumed double the amount of sodium per day than recommended.
• Of people with heart disease, 89% consumed more than the recommended allowance of 1,500 mg per day.
• Current recommendations for the maximum amount of sodium per day for people without heart disease is 2,300 mg, about the equivalent of a teaspoon of table salt.
• While it is difficult to know how much sodium one is actually consuming, there are various strategies for avoiding excess sodium.

Many people consume more than the daily recommended amount of sodium, particularly those who most need to reduce their intake for their heart health.

That’s according to a new study, which found that people with cardiovascular disease (CVD) were consuming more than double the recommended 1,500 milligrams (mg) of sodium each day.

The average amount of sodium consumed daily was 3,096 mg, with 89% of the study’s participants consuming more than the recommended amount.

The findings are being presented April 6–8 at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session. The results have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

People with heart disease should reduce sodium intake

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommendsTrusted Source adults who do not have or are not known to be at risk for heart disease consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. This is about the equivalent of a teaspoon of table salt.

The average person with heart disease in the present study exceeded that level by nearly 1,000 mg.

The study used data from 3,170 participants in the Center for Disease Control’s NHANESTrusted Source study. These sample included males and females older than 20 with a cardiovascular disease diagnosis.

Of this group, the majority were 65 or older, were white, and had an education level below high school graduate. Males, who accounted for slightly more than half of subjects (56.4%), were overweight with an average intake of 1,862 calories per day.

While overconsumption of sodium is often considered a result of fewer food choices, the study turns that hypothesis on its head.

The group with the greatest sodium intake were people at the higher end of the income scale and with a college degree or higher.

The study authors suggest that individuals with higher levels of education and income could have been better at reporting their sodium intake, which may have contributed to the surprising results.

What happens to the heart if you consume too much sodium?

The chemical name for table salt is sodium chloride. Sodium is a naturally occurring mineral, which is necessary for human health in small amounts.

“Sodium helps to balance the water in your body,” explained cardiologist Jayne Morgan, MD, clinical director at the Piedmont Healthcare Corporation in Atlanta, GA. “It even supports the proper functioning of muscles and nerves.” (Dr. Morgan was not involved in the study.)

“There is a saying in medicine, ‘Where sodium goes, water follows,’” she told Medical News Today.

“This is why salt increases the blood volume in your bodies. The effect of this is an increase in blood pressure. The increased blood pressure then forces your heart to work harder, which then eventually puts you at risk of heart disease,” Dr. Morgan said.

Dr. Morgan noted that excess sodium has long been linked with the hardening and stiffening of the arteries and atherosclerosisTrusted Source.

Does the average person consume too much salt?

A significant body of researchTrusted Source has investigated why so many people crave salt.

“The consistent overconsumption of sodium across the socioeconomic spectrum suggests that factors beyond just access to resources may influence sodium intake,” Michelle Routhenstein, registered dietitian nutritionist at EntirelyNourished.com, told MNT. Routhenstein was not involved in the study.

Routhenstein proposed this could imply “widespread availability and marketing of convenient high-sodium processed foods, cultural dietary habits that prioritize salty foods, and limited awareness or education about the health risks associated with excessive sodium consumption.”

Morgan agreed, taking it a step further:

“This is a great testament to the pervasiveness of the Western diet and cravings for salt and ‘flavor’. It also is a reflection of the ease and availability of sodium in many grocery products, even when buying ‘healthy’ options.”

Dr. Morgan added that packaging and labeling is not easily understood by the average consumer.

She said the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), for instance, could “create a standard rating system for foods that everyone understands where that food choice is on a band spectrum of health. The consumer then can truly make an informed decision.”

How to reduce dietary sodium intake

Tracking salt intake is the first step to reducing sodium consumption, but it can be difficult to know how much sodium you’re actually consuming.

Many food products use sodium for reasons other than a salt flavorTrusted Source. It may be used in baking, thickening, curing meat, moisture retention, and as a preservative. Many foods high in sodium don’t taste salty at all.

“Without actively scrutinizing food labels and being attentive to sodium levels, people may inadvertently consume excessive amounts,” Routhenstein said.

“Individuals may not be aware of the sodium content in their meals even before considering the use of a salt shaker,” Routhenstein added. “For example, a typical restaurant meal can contain upwards of 2,000 mg or more of sodium, surpassing the recommended intake for individuals with heart disease.”

Routhenstein recommended the following tips for reducing sodium intake:

“To consume less dietary sodium, focus on cooking at home using fresh ingredients, choosing low-sodium options, using herbs and spices for flavor, reading labels, and being mindful of hidden sodium in processed foods. When dining out, individuals can make lower sodium, heart-healthier choices by asking for sauces and dressings on the side, opting for grilled or steamed options instead of fried ones, and requesting meals to be prepared without added salt.”

“These simple adjustments can significantly contribute to reducing overall sodium intake while [you’re] still enjoying delicious meals,” Routhenstein noted.

Dr. Morgan offered four simple principles to keep in mind:

• Choose fresh foods.
• Limit side sauces, including salad dressings: barbecue, soy, teriyaki, ketchup, etc.
• Substitute salt for other herbs and spices when cooking.
• For salt cravings, try fresh fruit, dark chocolate, or almonds instead.

Common substitutes for salt

Routhenstein suggested a number of ways to replace salt in food and still retain flavor, such as adding small amounts of lemon or grapefruit juices to recipes.

“The tangy taste of citrus fruits can trick taste buds into perceiving more saltiness than is actually present, allowing dishes to remain flavorful with reduced sodium content,” she said.

Additionally, Routhenstein advocated for spiciness, incorporating chili peppers or hot sauce to your dishes depending on your taste preferences.

You could also replace the tabletop salt shaker with a shaker of garlic powder (not garlic salt, which has sodium), oregano, or any other favorite powder.

“Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, or dry mustard powder can add tanginess and depth to dressings, marinades, and sauces. Incorporating mustard into vinaigrettes, sandwich spreads, or rubs offers a flavorful twist without relying on sodium,” Routhenstein suggested.

Source - Medical News Today