What Is the MIND Diet, and Can It Lower Your Risk of Memory Problems Later in Life?

Ever hear of the MIND diet? Following it may help keep your memory and thinking skills stronger as you age.

In a new study, people who most closely followed the MIND diet had a significantly lower risk of cognitive impairment over time.

So, what is this eating plan? A combination of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet for heart health. It’s big on vegetables, especially leafy greens like spinach, kale and collard greens, and recommends whole grains, olive oil, nuts and beans  -- along with poultry and one or more servings of fish per week.

Berries top the MIND diet list of important fruits.

For the study, more than 14,000 people with an average age of 64 filled out dietary questionnaires and had their thinking and memory skills measured over a 10-year span.

After 10 years of monitoring, participants who most closely followed the MIND diet had a 4% lower risk of cognitive impairment.

But when researchers looked at the impact of gender in this group, they discovered women had 6% lower odds while men showed no decreased risk. High adherence to the MIND diet was also linked to slower decline, especially in Black participants.

One study author says more research is needed to examine the varying impacts on men and women and Black and white people. But he says, “It’s exciting to consider that people could make some simple changes to their diet and potentially reduce or delay their risk of cognitive issues.”

Source: Neurology

Author Affiliations: University of Cincinnati