There are many diets out there, the majority of which are tied to goals like losing weight or reducing the risk or impact of conditions like heart disease and diabetes. But far less do we consider the link between diet and brain health.
However, according to Victoria Taylor, Senior Dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, it’s an important factor to consider. She says, “There’s now evidence that the right diet could reduce your risk of developing dementia as well as being heart-healthy. [And since] having heart or circulatory disease raises your risk of dementia, it makes sense to look after both your heart and your brain.”
The Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet does exactly that. As a combination of two popular diets – the DASH and Mediterranean – it’s designed to improve brain health and reduce the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.
With that said, we’ll explore exactly what the MIND diet is, the research behind it, and its potential health benefits.
What is the MIND diet?
The MIND diet (short for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) is designed to help reduce the risk of dementia and cognitive decline.
It combines the principles of the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet and the Mediterranean diet – which are widely regarded as two of the healthiest diets out there.
The DASH diet is designed to help regulate blood pressure and the Mediterranean diet is centered on improving overall health. The diets are similar in their recommendations to eat more wholegrains, fish, pulses, fruits, and vegetables, but the DASH diet places greater emphasis on salt intake.
There’s solid evidence to suggest that both of these diets can improve various aspects of health like cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure; and reduce the risk of conditions like diabetes and heart disease. So, unsurprisingly, the MIND diet is thought to offer these benefits too – but with an added focus on improving brain health.
The MIND diet is a relatively new concept. It was created by researchers at Rush University in Chicago and the first paper exploring its effects was published in 2015. Since then, researchers have continued to look into its potential health benefits.
Note: While initial studies are promising, it’s important to note that further research is needed to fully confirm the benefits and effectiveness of the MIND diet. There’s currently not enough evidence for it to be part of national dietary guidelines.
What does the MIND diet involve?
Generally speaking, the main goals of the MIND diet are to eat more plant-based, minimally processed foods while limiting your consumption of saturated fats and added sugars.
More specifically, the diet advises people to base their diet around 10 main food categories, while limiting five others.
We’ll outline the MIND diet guidelines below…
Food categories eaten on the MIND diet
The 10 main food categories and guidelines of the MIND diet are…
- Three or more servings of wholegrains a day. Examples include quinoa, oats, brown rice, and wholegrain pasta.
- Six or more servings of green leafy vegetables a week, including spinach, kale, salads, and cooked greens, like broccoli and cabbage.
- While green leafy greens are recommended to be eaten in higher amounts on the MIND diet, it suggests an additional serving of another vegetable a day minimum. Non-starchy vegetables, like carrots and red peppers, are preferred as these are lower-calorie but nutrient-dense.
- Five or more servings of nuts a week. The diet doesn’t specify which nuts in particular, but focusing on variation can be a good place to start.
- Four or more meals with beans or lentils in them a week.
- Two or more servings of berries – such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries – per week due to their antioxidant properties.
- One or more servings of fish a week. Fatty fish, such as tuna, salmon, sardines, and trout, are particularly beneficial as they contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.
- Two or more meals containing lean chicken or turkey a week.
- Olive oil is recommended as the main oil or fat used.
- No more than one small glass of wine a day. More than this may become more harmful to health than helpful.
Of course, you can eat outside of these main food categories on the MIND diet – but the idea is that they form the basis of your diet.
It’s also important to note that if you’re not able to eat the advised number of servings of each food group, it’s still worth sticking with the MIND diet. Research has found that following the MIND diet, even moderately, is linked with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline.
Food categories avoided on the MIND diet
The MIND diet advises people to limit their consumption of the following five food categories…
- Fried or fast foods (less than once a week)
- Cheese (less than once a week)
- Pastries and sweets (less than five times a week)
- Butter (less than one tablespoon a day)
- Red meat (less than four times a week). This includes all beef, lamb, pork, and other products made from these meats.
The recommendations of the MIND diet are more specific than other dietary guidance. For example, while the DASH and Mediterranean diets recommend eating plenty of fruit, the MIND diet recommends focusing on berries specifically. This is because while all fruits are healthy, berries are known to be particularly beneficial for brain health.
The main reason that the MIND diet recommends limiting your consumption of foods like cheese, pastries, and butter is because they’re high in saturated fat. According to the NHS, a high saturated fat intake is linked with a greater risk of various of diseases.
How does the MIND diet affect brain health?
The MIND diet is a relatively new concept, but the current findings are positive.
This study followed people on the MIND diet for an average of 4.7 years. It found that those who stuck most closely to the diet had brains that were the equivalent of 7.5 years younger than those who’d followed the diet the least.
Other studies of people aged 58 and over linked the MIND diet with improved memory, slower cognitive decline, and lower rates of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Other studies have found that eating more of the 10 recommended food groups and less of the foods that the diet recommends avoiding is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s and improved brain function over time.
In fact, according to the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine, researchers have found a 53% lower rate of Alzheimer’s disease in people who follow the MIND diet closely, and a 35% lower rate for those who followed the diet moderately.
Why is the MIND diet beneficial for brain health?
Current research has not yet confirmed exactly why the MIND diet is effective for brain health. However, some researchers have theorised that it’s based on food that’s rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which help to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to infection and injury. While some level of inflammation is important for health, too much can be harmful and increase the risk of certain diseases.
Similarly, oxidative stress – which is caused by unstable molecules (called free radicals) accumulating in the body – can lead to cell damage. Studies show that the brain is particularly vulnerable to this type of damage.
Together, too much inflammation and oxidative stress can impact brain health. And, it’s for this reason, that these two factors have been the focus of various attempts to treat and prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
The MIND diet is packed full of foods high in antioxidants, which help to protect the brain against inflammation and oxidative stress – in particular, polyphenols (berries, olive oil, red wine), carotenoids (broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, red peppers), vitamin C (leafy green vegetables), vitamin E (nuts and olive oil), and omega-3 fatty acids (fish).
For example, studies have linked leafy green vegetables with slower cognitive decline and protection against early onset Alzheimer’s disease;nd wholegrains, legumes, and nuts, which are high in B vitamins and vitamin E, have been found to improve memory and decrease the rate of Alzheimer’s disease.
Fatty fish and nuts are also a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which research has linked with a slower rate of cognitive decline.
Lastly, both the DASH and Mediterranean diets are linked with lower levels of inflammation and oxidative stress – which, of course, the MIND diet is a combination of.
What are some other potential health benefits of the MIND diet?
While brain health is the main focus of the MIND diet, it may also bring other benefits.
For example…
The MIND diet may reduce the risk of heart disease
Much like the DASH and Mediterranean diets, the MIND diet involves eating plenty of plant-based foods that are high in fibre, complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats.
According to research, these dietary habits can help to reduce total cholesterol, lower the risk of heart disease, and reduce total deaths by heart disease, compared to lower-fat diets.
This study found that extra virgin olive oil – the primary fat source of the MIND diet – helped to prevent plaque build-up in the arteries, irregular heartbeat, and heart disease.
Other studies have linked flavonoids, which are abundant in berries, with lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, blood pressure, and, therefore, improved heart health.
The MIND diet’s effect on heart health is particularly worth noting because heart disease and dementia share several risk factors, including obesity and high cholesterol. So, it makes sense that improvements in one area are likely to benefit the other.
The MIND diet may be beneficial for diabetes
Research has shown that diets high in wholegrains, fruits, and vegetables can improve blood sugar control and lower the overall occurrence of type 2 diabetes compared to low-fat diets.
Other studies have also explored the relationship between major food groups in the MIND diet and type 2 diabetes. For example, researchers found that reducing consumption of foods like processed meats and sugary drinks significantly reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes; and eating 50g of wholegrains a day alone reduced the incidence of the condition by 25%.
The MIND diet may support healthy weight loss
While the MIND diet is designed for brain health, its focus on whole, non-processed foods that are rich in fibre may also be beneficial for weight loss.
Studies have concluded that plant-based foods like wholegrains and legumes were more effective at preventing weight gain and obesity than high-protein, low-fat, and low-GI diets.
The MIND diet may reduce the risk of depression
There’s evidence that the MIND diet may positively affect mood.
This study found that sticking to the Mediterranean diet for 10 years was linked with a lower rate of depression – and the results were attributed to the intake of foods also found in the MIND diet, including legumes, nuts, fish, vegetables, and wholegrains.
Researchers believe that these effects on mood are likely the result of eating a combination of these foods, rather than isolated nutrients.
Other potential benefits of the MIND diet
Research also suggests that MIND-like diets may help to reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease, certain types of cancer, and boost overall longevity.
Final thoughts…
We might not think about diet in relation to brain health as much as we might for heart health or weight loss. But research suggests that what we eat can have a significant impact on cognitive function.
While further research is still needed, current findings into the MIND diet are promising. And the good news is that it seems even moderate adherence to it may have a positive impact on health.
For more healthy lifestyle tips, head over to the diet and nutrition section of our website.
What are your experiences with the MIND diet? Are you interested in giving it a go? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
