Little-known diet could lower your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s

A groundbreaking diet has been identified as a potential game-changer in the fight against dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, with the UK leading the charge in seeking ways to stave off these conditions. The Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, or MIND diet, is specifically designed to boost brain health as we age.

Harvard.edu highlights that while dementia ranks as the sixth leading cause of death in the US, alzheimers.org.uk points out that “in the last year dementia is once again listed as the leading cause of death” in England and Wales, based on statistics from 2022. The urgency to find non-pharmaceutical methods “to prevent cognitive decline” is highlighted by recent research findings.

The experts note both the Mediterranean and DASH diets were previously linked to maintaining cognitive function. This is likely due to their roles in protecting against cardiovascular disease, which also benefits brain health.

Delving deeper, the study reveals: “The MIND diet contains foods rich in certain vitamins, carotenoids, and flavonoids that are believed to protect the brain by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. Although the aim of the MIND diet is on brain health, it may also benefit heart health, diabetes, and certain cancers because it includes components of the Mediterranean and DASH diets, which have been shown to lower the risk of these diseases.”

Those who scored highest on the MIND diet, indicating a higher intake of recommended foods, experienced a significantly slower rate of cognitive decline compared to those with the lowest scores. This suggests that the MIND diet’s impact on cognition is more effective than the Mediterranean or DASH diets alone.

The MIND diet, which draws inspiration from both the Mediterranean and DASH diets, emphasises the consumption of “brain healthy food”, while also recommending the limitation of five specific foods. Remarkably, researchers discovered a 53% lower rate of Alzheimer’s disease among those with the highest MIND diet scores. Even those with moderate scores exhibited a 35% lower rate compared to individuals with the lowest MIND scores.

“Several other large cohort studies have shown that participants with higher MIND diet scores, compared with those with the lowest scores, had better cognitive functioning, larger total brain volume, higher memory scores, lower risk of dementia, and slower cognitive decline, even when including participants with Alzheimer’s disease and history of stroke,” the report further states.

What does the MIND diet recommend you should eat – and avoid?

The healthy items the MIND diet guidelines suggest include:

3+ servings a day of whole grains
1+ servings a day of vegetables (other than green leafy
6+ servings a week of green leafy vegetables
5+ servings a week of nuts
4+ meals a week of beans
2+ servings a week of berries
2+ meals a week of poultry
1+ meals a week of fish
Mainly olive oil if added fat is used

The unhealthy items, which are higher in saturated and trans fat, include:

Less than 5 servings a week of pastries and sweets
Less than 4 servings a week of red meat (including beef, pork, lamb, and products made from these meats)
Less than one serving a week of cheese and fried foods
Less than 1 tablespoon a day of butter/stick margarine

Sample MIND meal plan

There isn’t one diet that you need to stick to, but if you are looking for some inspiration, this sample meal plan is roughly 2000 calories, the recommended intake for an average person. If you have higher or lower calorie needs, you may add or remove a snack snack, says harvard.edu.

Breakfast

1 cup cooked steel-cut oats mixed with 2 tablespoons slivered almonds, ¾ cup fresh or frozen blueberries, sprinkle of cinnamon

Snack

1 medium orange

Lunch

Beans and rice – In medium pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Add and sauté ½ chopped onion, 1 tsp cumin, and 1 tsp garlic powder until onion is softened. Mix in 1 cup canned beans, drained and rinsed. Serve bean mixture over 1 cup cooked brown rice.
2 cups salad (e.g., mixed greens, cucumbers, bell peppers) with dressing (mix together 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar, ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ tsp black pepper)

Snack