Salt: Natures Antidepressant

IOWA CITY, Iowa—Researchers at the University of Iowa have discovered that increased salt consumption may be a natural antidepressant.

UI psychologist Kim Johnson and colleagues found that when rats are deficient in sodium chloride, common table salt, they shy away from activities they normally enjoy, like drinking a sugary substance or pressing a bar that stimulates a pleasant sensation in their brains.

"Things that normally would be pleasurable for rats didn't elicit the same degree of relish, which leads us to believe that a salt deficit and the craving associated with it can induce one of the key symptoms associated with depression," Johnson said.

The researchers said loss of pleasure in normally pleasing activities is one of the most important features of psychological depression. The idea that salt is a natural mood-elevating substance could help explain why humans are tempted to over-ingest it, even though it's known to contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease and other health problems.