Summary: A large study suggests that following the MIND diet—rich in leafy greens, berries, nuts, and olive oil—significantly reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s and related dementias.
Those who improved their diet over a decade experienced up to a 25% lower dementia risk, regardless of age.
Key Facts: MIND Diet Impact: Adherence to the MIND diet reduced dementia risk by 9% overall.
Improvement Matters: Those who improved their diet over time saw a 25% lower risk.
Baseline MIND diet adherence was not associated with a significant risk reduction among Native Hawaiian or Asian American participants.
The MIND diet, which is high in leafy greens, berries, nuts, and olive oil, has been shown in a large study to significantly lower the risk of Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Using information from approximately 93,000 U. S. . Among adults, researchers discovered that White, Latino, and African American participants had the most robust and reliable protective effects.
Regardless of age, those who made dietary changes over a ten-year period saw a 25 percent reduction in their risk of dementia. A brain-healthy diet can help with cognitive aging, according to the study, even though the effects were less noticeable for Asian American and Native Hawaiian participants.
Key Facts:.
MIND Diet Impact: Overall, adherence to the MIND diet decreased the risk of dementia by 9%.
Improvement Is Important: People who gradually made dietary improvements had a 25% lower risk.
Subgroup Differences: White, Latino, and African American groups showed the strongest effects.
American Society for Nutrition is the source.
In the case of the U. S. . As the population ages and the number of dementia cases increases, many people are wondering if this debilitating illness can be prevented.
The answer might be on your plate, according to a recent study that found that people who adhered to the MIND diet had a markedly lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
The Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, or MIND diet, combines the Mediterranean diet with the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which lowers blood pressure, and places an emphasis on foods that have been shown to be good for the brain, such as leafy green vegetables, berries, nuts, and olive oil.
The MIND diet was found to have a more robust and consistent risk reduction relationship with dementia than other healthy diets, though the relationship differed across the five racial groups.
The strongest pattern of risk reduction was seen in those who enhanced their diet adherence the most over time. Younger and older groups showed a similar positive relationship, indicating that there are advantages to following the diet at any age.
Song-Yi Park, PhD, an associate professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, stated, “The results of our study demonstrate that good eating habits in mid-to-late life and their gradual improvement may prevent Alzheimer’s and related dementias.”.
This implies that maintaining a healthy diet to ward off dementia is something that can be done at any time. “.”.
Park will discuss the results at the American Society for Nutrition’s premier annual meeting, NUTRITION 2025, which will take place in Orlando, Florida, from May 31 to June 3.
Using information from almost 93,000 U.S. A. adults who, beginning in the 1990s, participated in a research cohort called the Multiethnic Cohort Study and provided information about their diet. Over 21,000 participants, who were 45–75 years old at baseline, went on to develop Alzheimer’s or related dementias in the years that followed.
In general, those with higher baseline MIND adherence scores had a 9 percent.
reduced risk of dementia; among those who identified as White, Latino, or African American, the reduction was even greater, at about 13 percent. Neither Asian American nor Native Hawaiian participants’ baseline MIND diet adherence was linked to a statistically significant decrease in risk.
“We found that the protective relationship between a healthy diet and dementia was stronger among whites, African Americans, and Latinos, but it was less noticeable among Asian Americans and exhibited a weaker trend among Native Hawaiians,” Park said. When assessing the dietary quality of various subpopulations, a customized approach might be required. “.”.
Additionally, the findings demonstrated that individuals who, over a ten-year period, improved their adherence to MIND (including those who initially did not follow the diet closely) had a 25% lower risk of dementia than those whose adherence deteriorated. Regardless of age or race, this pattern held true.
According to the researchers, the variation they saw in the dementia-diet relationship may be due to racial and ethnic differences in dietary patterns and preferences.
The benefits of diets more prevalent in Asian Americans may not be reflected in the MIND diet, as Asian Americans also have lower rates of dementia than other groups.
Since the study was based on observational data, Park added that interventional studies would be required to confirm cause and effect. He also stated that additional research could help to clarify these patterns.
Regarding this research on diet and brain aging.
The writer is Nancy Lamontagne.
American Society for Nutrition is the source.
The American Society for Nutrition’s Nancy Lamontagne can be reached.
Image: Neuroscience News is credited with this image.
