Does Salt Intake Improve Mood

Do Humans Over-consume Salt to Improve Mood

Humans display a preference for salt although the reasons remain unclear. The aim was to examine the hypothesis that salt may enhance mood. The study compares the drinking of water with and without electrolytes (either dissolved in water or by capsule). Mood was rated over a period of 155 minutes

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Mood; Salt Intake
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Sodium Chloride; Dietary supplement: Water; Biological: No water consumed; Other: Placebo capsule

Detailed Description

Study 1. 120 young adults will be were recruited. They will arrive in the laboratory at 0900 having consumed their normal breakfast. Over the morning they will reported their mood by responding to one hundred millimetre visual analogue scales anchored with the words: Composed/Anxious; Hostile/Agreeable; Elated/Depressed; Unsure/Confident; Energetic/Tired; Confused/Clearheaded. These dimensions of mood came from the factor analysis that formed the basis of the Profile of Mood State questionnaire. An overall measure of mood will be calculated. .

Randomly they will receive either a 150ml glass of water, or an equivalent volume of water containing electrolytes (in total 150mg sodium chloride and 45mg potassium chloride (Gatorade G2 Low calorie (34 kcal) Thirst Quencher, Pepsico). This drink will be consumed for a first time after 50 minutes, and a second time after 140 minutes. A estimate of habitual salt preference will be gained by responding to questions concerning the adding of salt to meals and a preference for salty foods.

Study 2: One hundred and twenty young adults will be recruited. A second study attempts to replicate the first in a double-blind trial where the taste of salt was hidden by using a capsule. . Participants will be assigned to one of four experimental conditions; 1) swallowed placebo capsules; 2) swallowed capsules containing electrolyte (300mg sodium chloride); 3) received placebo capsules and plain water; 4) received capsules containing electrolyte and plain water. Each drink will be 150ml of water. The allocation of the type of capsule will be carried out double-blind, determined by computer generated random numbers.

Otherwise the procedure will be identical to study one.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 120
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Hayley Young, PhD; Phone Number: ++441792295908; Email: h.a.young@swansea.a.cuk

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Wales
    • Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom, sa2 8pp
      • Recruiting
      • Psychology, Swansea University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: ADULT; OLDER_ADULT; CHILD
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria: Self declared in good health -

Exclusion Criteria:

-

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Interventional Model: PARALLEL
• Masking: DOUBLE

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
ACTIVE_COMPARATOR: Sodium chloride / Water; The sodium chloride / water arm involves 300mg sodium chloride being consumed in a capsule and on two occasions 150ml of water being drunk	Dietary supplement: Sodium Chloride; 300mg sodium chloride will be provided in a capsule; Dietary supplement: Water; Twice during the morning a drink of 150ml of water will be consumed
ACTIVE_COMPARATOR: Sodium chloride / no water; A capsule containing 300mg of sodium chloride will be consumed but no water will be drunk over the morning	Dietary supplement: Sodium Chloride; 300mg sodium chloride will be provided in a capsule; Biological: No water consumed; No water will be consumed during the monring
ACTIVE_COMPARATOR: Placebo / water; A capsule containing a placebo will be consumed and on two occasions 150ml of water will be drunk	Dietary supplement: Water; Twice during the morning a drink of 150ml of water will be consumed; Other: Placebo capsule; A capsule of identical appearance to that providing salt, but not containing electrolytes, will be consumed
PLACEBO_COMPARATOR: Placebo / no water; A capsule containing a placebo will be consumed but no water will be drunk over the morning	Biological: No water consumed; No water will be consumed during the monring; Other: Placebo capsule; A capsule of identical appearance to that providing salt, but not containing electrolytes, will be consumed

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Mood ratings using visual analogue scales	On a hundred millimetre scale ratings will be made of with the two ends anchored with the words Agreeable/Hostile, Confused/clearheaded; composed/anxious; depressed/elated; confident/unsure; tired/energetic. Each scales produces a score between 0 and 100. When added to create a total mood score the ratings vary between zero and six hundred with a higher score indicating a better mood	Up to three hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Ratings of thirst	Rating made using a visual analogue scale responding to the question how thirsty do you feel right now? With a high score indicated greater thrist	Up to three hours
Body weight	Changes in body weight over morning. Scales measuring to the nearest 10g will be used	Up to three hours

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Swansea University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ACTUAL): January 1, 2017
• Primary Completion (ANTICIPATED): April 1, 2018
• Study Completion (ANTICIPATED): April 1, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 16, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 9, 2018
• First Posted (ACTUAL): March 16, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): March 16, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 9, 2018
• Last Verified: March 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Mood Salt
• Other Study ID Numbers: DB-0123-SALT

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No