sodium

Salt, immune cells and hypertension

Excess dietary salt activates immune cells to induce inflammation and hypertension, supporting current recommendations for low sodium consumption.

How salt increases blood pressure

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that a protein called SGK1 in immune cells is activated by sodium, leading to the development of salt-sensitive hypertension.

Vanderbilt-led study shows high-salt diet decreases thirst, increases hunger

Salted peanuts make you thirsty so you drink more: that’s bartender wisdom. While that may be true in the short-term, within 24 hours increasing salt consumption actually makes you less thirsty because your body starts to conserve and produce water.

By Bill Snyder

March 5, 2015

Study reveals salt’s role in infection control

Researchers at Vanderbilt University and in Germany have found that sodium — salt — accumulates in the skin and tissue in humans and mice to help control infection.

By Bill Snyder

June 6, 2013

Study tracks skin salt’s role in blood pressure control

Clinical pharmacologist Jens Titze, M.D., and his colleagues have identified a new cast of cells and molecules that function in the skin to control sodium balance and blood pressure.