TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Salt has long been considered as the cause of high blood pressure. However, a recent study indicated that high content of diet pattern can cause serious damage to your brain.

The latest study that shows the relationship between diet with high salt content and memory and thinking problems were tested on rats.Giving food with salt 8 to 16 times as much as in their normal meal showed that the rats had difficulties to distinguish a new object and a familiar one. It was also more difficult for them to go through mazes and they could not build nests. Such sets of behavior are important for rats to live their lives.

"We translate such signs to humans for daily activities and that’s what we call cognitive disorder or severe dementia," said Costantino Iadecola, a professor of neurology and neuroscience in Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City and head of research.

Cognitive disorder in humans include memory problems, disorientation, and inability to put on clothes, cook, pay the bills or do other things in daily life.

The study also revealed that when rats were back on their normal diet, their brain functions also returned to normal. It shows that the overconsumption of salt can be resolved by toning down salt intake.

WEBMD | MEDICALNEWSTODAY