Can you give your brain a boost with the MIND diet?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 5.8 million people in the U.S. have Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. That number is expected to grow in the coming years, but you can take proactive steps to lower your risk of dementia. One such step is adopting the MIND diet, which empowers you to take control of your health and offers a path to reduce your risk of cognitive decline and memory loss.

You might be familiar with the Mediterranean diet, which follows the traditional eating habits of people in the Middle East, northern Africa and southern Europe. Research has shown that particular eating style, emphasizing plants and healthy fats, such as extra virgin olive oil, is beneficial for heart health, lowering the risk of heart disease.

The MIND diet combines the principles of the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets into a single style of eating—the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. Brain-healthy foods featured in the MIND diet may reduce the risk of memory loss and cognitive decline.

How what you eat can reduce the risk of dementia

When it comes to your brain health, your habits play a significant role. Your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia is higher if you smoke, are physically inactive, or have uncontrolled diabetes or high blood pressure.

Most people know that in order to lower the risk of heart disease, you need to practice healthy lifestyle habits, including eating a diet filled with vegetables and exercising regularly. Well, it turns out that what’s good for your heart is also good for your brain.

By protecting your heart health, you can protect your cognitive function. Being thoughtful about what you eat can help you protect both your heart and your mind.

Studies have shown that the MIND diet can significantly reduce the risk of developing dementia. The results of one study, published in 2023, found that participants with Mediterranean-style diets showed fewer signs of Alzheimer’s in the brain when studied after death, including the buildup of amyloid plaques. This promising research offers hope for a healthier cognitive future.

While research is ongoing, it’s thought that these diets help protect the brain by limiting inflammation and oxidative stress in the body.

The basics of the MIND diet

Now that you know that the MIND diet is good for your brain, what is it? Since the MIND diet combines the Mediterranean and DASH diets, it’s heavy on antioxidant-packed fruits and vegetables and low on animal products and dietary components, such as sodium and saturated fat.

The MIND diet emphasizes:

• Beans
• Fatty fish such as salmon
• Fruit, with an emphasis on berries of all kinds
• Olive oil
• Nuts
• Vegetables, particularly the green, leafy kind
• Whole grains

While following the MIND diet, you’re encouraged to fill up on the foods above and reduce your consumption of other foods that are a big part of the modern U.S. diet. Limit your intake of:

• Butter and margarine
• Cheese
• Fried foods
• Pastries and sweets, which often contain saturated fat
• Red meat, including beef, pork and lamb

If you're considering adopting the MIND diet, you might be wondering what it looks like in practical terms. The good news is that it's not a restrictive diet but rather a collection of healthy eating habits for daily life. The basics outlined above can serve as simple, straightforward guidance for your everyday food choices, helping you make brain-healthy decisions whenever you eat.

The next time you’re out to dinner and choosing between a salad and fried or fast food, do your brain a favor and lean toward the salad. If you choose a salad with avocado, that’s even better!

Wondering what else you can do to protect your cognitive health? Your primary care provider can help you keep an eye on your health! Find an LCMC Health provider here.