Need another reason to put the salt shaker down? New research has found diets high in sodium boost the risk of developing of multiple sclerosis.

Scientists with the University of Vermont in Burlington determined that salt influences immune cells that cause the disease, suggesting it may be one of the many environmental factors contributing to MS.

The findings, published in Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology’s FASEB Journal, add to the growing body of evidence that suggests clear connection between certain foods interact with genetics and the human immune system to combat — or contribute to — disease.

"We hope to provide a comprehensive understanding of how and why environmental factors interact with individuals' unique genetic make up to influence autoimmune diseases such as MS," said Dimitry N. Krementsov, a researcher involved in the work from the University’s Department of Medicine, Immunobiology Program.

For the study, Krementsov and colleagues fed a high-salt diet to a mice and compare them to those fed a standard diet. They then induced a disease in these mice that mimics human MS. The result showed the mice fed a high-salt diet had worse clinical signs of the disease than those consuming a regular diet.

"As is the case with other things, you need to get enough salt so your body functions properly, but not too much or things start to go haywire," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of the FASEB Journal. "This report helps shed light on what can go wrong in individuals with genes that make one susceptible to autoimmune disease. It also helps us understand how much salt is just right for any given individual."