Inulin may reduce memory problems caused by a high-salt diet through multiple gut-brain pathways

Inulin supplementation significantly alleviates cognitive deficits and gut damage induced by a long-term high-salt diet in mice.

• Long-term high-salt diet is associated with cognitive impairment and gut pathology.
• Inulin supplementation improved learning and memory in behavioral tests.
• Inulin restored gut barrier integrity and increased levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).
• The expression of SCFAs receptors FFAR2 and FFAR3 was upregulated following inulin treatment.
• Inulin reduced systemic lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and suppressed neuroinflammation in the hippocampus.
• Administration of exogenous SCFAs produced similar beneficial effects as inulin.

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