Meet the MIND diet: With some claiming it can keep your brain strong

Researchers say people of any age can benefit from adhering to the diet plan

Sticking to a brain-healthy diet can help fight off Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. The MIND — or “Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay” — diet has been effective in this area, according to new research.

The strategy combines the well-known Mediterranean diet with the DASH, or ”Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension,” eating plan, emphasizing foods such as leafy green vegetables, berries, nuts, fish, poultry, and olive oil. The DASH eating plan targets a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, limiting sugar and foods high in saturated fats.

“Our study findings confirm that healthy dietary patterns in mid to late life and their improvement over time may prevent Alzheimer’s and related dementias,” Dr. Song-Yi Park, an associate professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, said in a statement. “This suggests that it is never too late to adopt a healthy diet to prevent dementia.”

Park is presenting the findings at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition on Monday.

Sticking to the MIND diet could help to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia later in life. But, more research is needed to find out why. (Getty Images/iStock)

Park and his colleagues analyzed data from nearly 93,000 American adults who had provided information about their diets starting in the 1990s when they were between the ages of 45 and 75 years old. More than 21,000 have since developed Alzheimer’s or related dementias.

Those who stuck to the plant-forward MIND diet had a 9 percent lower risk of dementia. That was even more pronounced among those who identified as African American, Latino or White, at around 13 percent. The trend was not as apparent among Asian Americans and showed a weaker trend in Native Hawaiians.

Those who enhanced their commitment to the diet over time showed the greatest risk reduction. That was true for both older and younger groups. Participants who improved their compliance had a 25 percent lower risk of dementia compared with those whose adherence declined.

The MIND and Mediterranean diets are both rich in similar foods. But, leafy greens are especially linked to less Alzheimer’s brain pathology (Getty Images/iStock)

The findings build upon previous research which found the diet slashed the risk of Alzheimer’s by as much as more than half for those who stuck to it rigorously and more than a third in those with moderate commitment. Leafy greens are especially associated with less Alzheimer’s brain pathology, according to the National Institute on Aging.

Whatever the cause, adhering to the healthy diet may help millions of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease, which accounts for 60-80 percent of dementia cases.

“A tailored approach may be needed when evaluating different subpopulations’ diet quality,” Park explained.