The MIND diet: A doctor’s recipe for avoiding cognitive decline

One of the greatest fears many people have is suffering cognitive decline – or difficulty with memory, thought-processing, and learning. The thought of progression to dementia, the most common type being Alzheimer’s disease, is terrifying. That fear centers around the loss of independence and self-determination.

However, there are powerful tools to prevent or slow down cognitive decline, one of which is the MIND diet, the offspring of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet. It was designed by Martha Clare Morris, a nutritional epidemiologist.

The Mediterranean diet consists of grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and fish. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet consists of fruits, vegetables, poultry, fish, whole grains, and nuts. The MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet is plant-based, includes poultry and fish, and discourages saturated fats, red meat, and excessive sugar. Compared to these diets, the MIND diet differs in the number of daily and weekly servings of some foods and food groups.

What’s The MIND Diet’s Goal?

The purpose of the MIND diet is to help improve brain function and contribute to cognitive resilience in older adults. Healthy lifestyle factors, such as a high-quality diet, can benefit the health of the brain. As such, following this diet may help slow cognitive decline and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

What Are The Benefits?

Research shows that the MIND diet can decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 35 to 53%, which seems to vary with how strictly an individual follows the diet. A study published in Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy showed that better adherence to the MIND diet correlated to a greater decrease in the risk for Alzheimer’s disease. The studies demonstrating this effect must be reproduced for confirmation, but the diet is certainly promising as a strategy to prevent cognitive decline.

Multiple factors contribute to your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. You cannot change your age and genetics, but you can control other risk factors, such as exercise, cognitive training (such as brain games), and diet. A 2019 review noted that certain diets may help protect the brain due to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. These diets include the MIND diet.

Other evidence shows a potential link between closely following the MIND diet and a slower rate of cognitive decline after a stroke. In addition to reducing the risk of cognitive decline, the MIND diet may help prevent heart disease and some forms of cancer.

Both the Mediterranean and DASH diets promote cardiovascular health. The MIND diet, which includes features of both, is also likely beneficial for heart health.

A 2021 study also identified a link between following the MIND diet and a lower risk of developing breast cancer. However, more research is necessary to explore the links between diet and cancer.