Too Much Salt Could Affect Circadian Rhythm, Study Finds

It's no secret that salt, while tasty, needs to be limited for the sake of our heart health and blood pressure. But according to new research by the University of Alabama at Birmingham, presented at the Seventeenth International Conference on Endothelin, too much salt could disrupt the circadian rhythm as well. Here's what they found.

They were specifically looking at a part of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which is what keeps our body clocks regular and in rhythm. Within the SCN are receptors called endothelin B receptors, but outside of the brain, these receptors help to manage sodium levels.

Upon their analysis, the researchers found the mice who had been fed a high-salt diet weren't following the normal sleep-wake patterns we've come to expect from mice through previous research.

Then, when those mice were given an endothelin B receptor blocker, all that late-night neural activity slowed down. So not only was the salt affecting their circadian rhythm, but the team adds that endothelin B receptor blockers (which are used to promote healthy blood pressure) could also potentially influence the circadian rhythms of people who take them.

While we can't say for sure whether these results will be replicated in humans, we already know too much salt isn't great for us, anyway. And with quality sleep and a regulated circadian rhythm being so crucial to our overall well-being, these findings are simply one more thing to consider when we reach for the salt shaker.