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Local Study Suggests “MIND Diet” May Keep Brains Younger
FRAMINGHAM, MA – A new study, published in BMJ Neurology, suggests that a diet rich in leafy greens, berries, and fish could be the key to a younger, sharper brain. The research, which tracked over 1,600 adults from the long-running Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort for approximately 12 years, found a significant link between adherence to the MIND diet and slower brain shrinkage.
The MIND diet, an acronym for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, emphasizes foods known to protect brain health while limiting items like fried foods and red meat. Participants who most closely followed this eating pattern exhibited brains that appeared about 2.5 years younger on MRI scans compared to those who adhered the least.
While brain shrinkage is a natural part of aging, MIND dieters showed a reduced loss of gray matter-the tissue crucial for memory and thinking-and fewer white matter changes often associated with aging and damage to the brain’s small blood vessels.
“Foods recommended as part of the MIND diet like leafy greens, fatty fish, berries, and olive oil have been shown to lower inflammation and oxidative stress in the body,” explained Liz Weinandy, an instructor of practice in medical dietetics at The Ohio State University, who was not involved in the study. Weinandy likens inflammation and oxidative stress to “slow-burning fires” that gradually damage cells and accelerate aging.
A notable aspect of this study is its longitudinal approach, utilizing repeated MRI scans over several years rather than a single snapshot, offering a more dynamic view of brain changes.
The research highlighted specific foods with strong impacts. Berries and poultry were linked to healthier brain changes, while sweets and fried foods were associated with faster brain shrinkage. “These healthy foods have been specifically noted to benefit our brain, lowering the risk of diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease,” Weinandy added.
Interestingly, the study’s findings on whole grains and cheeses were inconsistent, sometimes showing beneficial links and other times not, indicating an area for further research.
Weinandy stresses that “foods rarely need to be avoided entirely,” and focusing too much on individual items can be misleading. “The short answer is to focus on the sum of all parts,” she advised.
This means that consistent, everyday choices like regularly consuming fruits and vegetables and limiting ultra-processed foods may have a greater impact than seeking out specific “brain foods.” She suggested simple swaps, such as choosing fruit over dessert or ground chicken instead of ground beef.
The benefits of the MIND diet were most pronounced in older adults, suggesting its crucial role in brain health later in life. Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Ph.D., a professor of nutritional medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, noted that this likely stems from the fact that the types of brain changes measured in the study tend to manifest more clearly in older age.
For those concerned about the cost or availability of MIND diet ingredients, St-Onge offered practical advice. She recommends exploring the frozen food section of grocery stores, which often carries affordable and readily available berries, spinach, broccoli, and cauliflower. Frozen options can also help reduce food waste, eliminating the need for extensive cleaning and cutting.