Researchers have found that the MIND diet—a blend of the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) plan—may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The MIND diet emphasizes leafy greens, berries, nuts, fish, poultry, and olive oil, while limiting sugar and saturated fat.
Study Design and Participants
Dr. Song-Yi Parker of the University of Hawaii at Manoa led the research. His team analyzed dietary data from nearly 93,000 U.S. adults. Participants first reported their diet in the 1990s when they were 45 to 75 years old. Over time, more than 21,000 developed Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia.
Main Findings
Overall Risk Reduction: Those who followed the MIND diet closely had a 9% lower risk of developing dementia.
Stronger Benefit in Some Groups: African Americans, Latinos, and White participants saw about a 13% risk reduction. The benefit was smaller for Asian Americans and weakest for Native Hawaiians.
Impact of Diet Improvement: Participants who improved their adherence to the diet over time cut their dementia risk by 25% compared to those whose diet quality declined.
Importance of Plant-Based Foods
Previous studies have shown even larger benefits: strict adherence to the MIND diet more than halved Alzheimer’s risk, and moderate adherence cut it by over one-third. Green leafy vegetables, in particular, are linked to fewer Alzheimer’s-related brain lesions, according to the National Institute on Aging.
Never Too Late to Improve Diet
“Our findings confirm that healthy dietary patterns in midlife and old age, and their improvement over time, may protect against Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias,” Dr. Parker said. “It suggests that it is never too late to prevent dementia by eating healthily.”
Implications for Public Health
Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60–80% of dementia cases in the United States. As millions face this condition, adopting the MIND diet could offer a practical way to reduce risk. Dr. Parker noted that diet quality should be assessed with attention to different population subgroups to ensure tailored public health strategies.
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