Scientists discover a natural compound that could protect the brain from too much salt — SkimNews
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- LPC70, a soy lysolecithin compound in which lysophosphatidylcholine exceeds 70% of phospholipids, reduced blood pressure and restored memory and social interaction in mice fed a high-salt diet, in a study led by Professor Akihiro Mouri and Dr. Hisayoshi Kubota at Fujita Health University.
- High-salt-fed mice showed impaired social interaction and object recognition memory but no changes in general movement or anxiety-like behavior, indicating that excess salt selectively disrupts complex cognitive and social functions rather than causing broad behavioral impairment.
- In the kidneys, LPC70 suppressed salt-related increases in COX-2 and the PGE2 receptor EP3, while in the prefrontal cortex it restored expression of the protective PGD2 receptor DP1 without changing the potentially harmful DP2 receptor.
- LPC70 raised prostaglandin levels (PGE2, PGD2) derived from arachidonic acid even though circulating arachidonic acid fell, suggesting the compound helps the body convert available fatty acid into protective prostaglandins under high-salt stress.
- The findings appeared in Volume 197 of Neurochemistry International on July 1, 2026, from a collaboration between Fujita Health University and Tsuji Oil Mills Co., Ltd., which funded the research and supplied the compound.
- Mouse-only data means human clinical trials are still needed; Prof. Mouri framed the work as laying the groundwork for future dietary interventions against hypertension-related cognitive decline.
Why it matters: For the billions of people whose diets exceed recommended sodium limits, a naturally derived food ingredient that simultaneously lowers hypertension-related kidney signaling and restores a specific neuroprotective receptor (DP1) in the prefrontal cortex would address two health burdens at once. The receptor-selective mechanism — DP1 restored, DP2 left alone — gives researchers a concrete, testable target for clinical follow-up rather than a vague antioxidant-style claim.
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