We know that our diet is connected to our gut health, mental health, chronic diseases, and also, cognitive health.
Have you heard of the MIND Diet?
It’s an eating pattern designed to promote brain health and reduce the risk of cognitive decline.
Dementia is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Harvard School of Public Health.
While this diet can’t reverse present cases of dementia, it can play a role in prevention or slow the progression.
And the good news is that it’s based on existing diets that you may already be following or are familiar with.
The MIND Diet stands for Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay.
The Mediterranean Diet is a heart-healthy diet that focuses on healthy fats, while the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) focuses on reducing high blood pressure.
They are similar in that they promote whole, unprocessed food for cardiovascular health.
Research has shown that protecting heart health also protects brain health.
The MIND Diet combines these two diets to include food and serving size recommendations that are considered “brain healthy” while also noting a list of foods to limit.
In the initial study, a group of over 1000 adults without dementia in the Chicago area were recruited, where they had to complete dietary questionnaires for nine years and take cognitive assessments.
From that, a MIND Diet score was created based on foods and nutrients that were found to protect against cognitive decline.
How do you score?
Daily MIND Diet foods:
- Whole grains: 3 servings per day (one serving = 1 slice of bread or 1/3 cup)
- Vegetables (not green leafy): 1 serving per day (1 serving = ½ cup cooked or 1 cup raw)
- Nuts: 1 serving per day (one serving = 1 handful or 2 tablespoons)
- Olive oil as primary source of added fat
Weekly MIND Diet foods:
- Green leafy vegetables: 6 servings a week (one serving = 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw)
- Beans and legume: 3-4 servings per week (one serving = 1/3 cup)
- Berries: 2 or more servings per week (one serving = 1 cup)
- Poultry: 2 servings per week (one serving = 2 to 4 ounces)
- Fish: 1 or more servings per week (one serving = 2 to 4 ounces)
Foods to limit:
- Pastries and sweets: less than 5 servings per week (1 serving = 1 small piece)
- Red meats (including beef, pork, lamb and products made from these): less than 4 servings per week (1 serving = 2 to 4 ounces)
- Cheese: one serving or less per week (1 serving = 1 slice or 1 ounce)
- Fried and fast food: less than 1 meal per week
- Butter/stick margarine: less than 1 tablespoon
For those who don’t cook and prefer to eat out, this may sound challenging.
But there are easy ways to incorporate the MIND Diet at home, such as salads with beans and an olive oil dressing, a bowl of unflavored oatmeal with berries and nuts, using whole grain bread instead of white bread on a sandwich or eating nuts as a snack instead of chips. Eating well at restaurants is harder simply because you don’t have control over the ingredients and cooking methods, but ordering baked salmon instead of a burger, having bread with olive oil instead of butter or skipping dessert are ways to stay mindful of the MIND diet when eating out.
Simple swaps done incrementally make dietary changes less daunting than trying to make big changes all at once.
Of course, it’s more than just food that can play a role in brain health.
Getting enough physical activity (150 minutes per week), an active social life, and challenging your mind are all important too.
Following the MIND Diet has been shown to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by 53%.
Even only moderately following the diet can reduce the risk by 35%.
It was ranked No. 3 in Best Diets Overall in 2024 in US News and World Report.
Clearly, the low inflammation and reduced oxidative stress prompted by the MIND Diet are good for your brain (and heart and waistline).
Shari Bresin is the Family & Consumer Science Agent for the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension Pasco County, An Equal Opportunity Institution.
