Experts estimate that the 40 percent of dementia cases in the world could be avoided or be delayed if certain factors change, such as prioritizing exercise, sleep, and addressing health conditions such as hearing loss or high blood pressure. But also, more and more evidence is emerging to suggest that diet also has important implications in preventing dementia.
The specialist Puja Agarwal, nutritional health researcher Medical Center of the Chicago Rush University, has focused on evaluating how the risk of suffering from dementia could be influenced by Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delayeither MIND diet (for its acronym in English), which highlights certain foods that are believed to protect the brain.
The MIND diet was first described in 2015, in a study led by Martha Clare Morrisnutritional health researcher at the Rush University, who died in 2020. Morris and her colleagues found that people who prioritize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats tended to have better cognition than those who didn’t. They also observed that specific foods such as leafy green vegetables, berries, nuts and whole grains were associated with better brain health.
Based on these results, Morris and his team designed the MIND diet. Like the DASH and Mediterranean diets, this one emphasizes whole grains, vegetables, nuts, legumes, healthy fats, and lean protein sources such as poultry and fish. On the other hand, it is suggested to limit red and processed meats, cheese, sweets, fried foods and butter or margarine.
However, the MIND diet is unique in that it calls for at least six servings of leafy green vegetables and two servings of berries per week. In several studies that have tracked the eating patterns of older people over many years, researchers have found that those who follow the MIND diet more strictly tend to experience slower cognitive decline.
“These results are promising,” he said. Debora Melo van Lentassistant professor of Ciences of the Health of the Population of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio to The New York Times portal and added: “But these studies cannot demonstrate that MIND diet in itself improves brain health. For that, a clinical trial would be needed.”
The first clinical trial of the MIND diet was published in August in the journal The New England Journal of Medicine. In the three-year study, researchers told half of the 604 participants, with an average age of 65 and older, to follow the MIND diet and the other half to follow their usual diet. Participants were also advised to reduce their calorie intake to lose weight.
“The results were disappointing,” according to Hussein Yassineassociate professor of neurology at Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. The two groups achieved similar improvements on cognitive tests, and brain scans found no significant differences associated with cognitive decline.
In that regard, Agarwal stated that this may have been a result of the study design and factors outside the researchers’ control. For example, the group that followed their usual diet ended up consuming many components of the MIND diet, and both groups lost weight, which may have contributed to similar improvements in cognitive function. “Eating patterns are complex and difficult to control. It is not as clear as a pharmacological trial,” explained the specialist.
Yassine said that although the trial design had some problems, the MIND diet could be beneficial for brain health, especially if followed for decades, but better designed trials will be needed to prove this. In a 2013 clinical trial, the Mediterranean diet was shown to improve cognition. “Given that diabetes and cardiovascular disease are important risk factors for dementia, any dietary pattern that reduces those risks is likely to also benefit the brain,” Melo van Lent explained.
“If you want to eat in a way that resembles the MIND diet, consider adding berries to breakfast or leafy greens like spinach or kale to your lunch a couple of times a week, and prioritize plant-based meals that incorporate beans and nuts,” he explained Kelli McGranea licensed dietitian and author of ““MIND Diet for Beginners”, a cookbook and diet guide. “Diet plays a fundamental role,” Yassine concluded and closed: “But it is part of a broader picture.”
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