Looking for brain food? Try the MIND diet.

It’s probably safe to say many of us, as we age, worry about coming down with dementia ― a loss of thinking, remembering, and reasoning that affects everyday life. Dementia is often preceded, years in advance, by memory and thinking problems, including cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment.

In looking for interventions that might help prevent or delay cognitive issues, researchers have discovered that some healthy eating patterns are linked to improved cognitive function.

One of them is the MIND diet.

According to WebMD, the MIND diet is a brain-healthy diet that stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. It’s a long name ― hence the acronym ― but you might recognize the two diets that make up the full name.

MIND is a hybrid of the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) and the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables and lean proteins. The MIND diet focuses on food groups in each diet that can boost your brainpower and protect it from age-related problems like Alzheimer’s disease.

How does the MIND diet work?

In the MIND diet, the recommended guidelines focus more on plant-based foods that are minimally processed and limits animal-based foods that are high in saturated fats and foods with added sugars. The diet also recommends portion control, but unlike several diets, it doesn’t focus on weight loss.

The MIND diet principles include 10 food groups you should eat and five to limit.

Basically, every day, you should eat at least three servings of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, one to two servings of beans, poultry, and fish each week, and daily snacks can include nuts and berries. The diet also emphasizes to mostly choose olive oil as a healthy source of fat to cook your foods.

While you don’t have to completely cut out meats and dairy from your meals, the diet recommends eating them sparingly ― less than four times a week. Instead, the diet recommends substituting them with protein-packed beans and legumes that are important for brain health.

The foods you should focus on in the MIND diet are:

• Green leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, and collard greens (at least one serving daily)
• All other vegetables (2 or more servings per day)
• Berries (2 or more servings per week)
• Nuts (5 or more servings per week)
• Olive oil (daily)
• Whole grains (3 or more servings per day)
• Fish/seafood (1 or more servings per week). Chose fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines.
• Beans (4 or more servings per week)
• Poultry (2 or more servings per week)
• Wine (one glass per day, but you can skip it)

Foods to avoid or limit include:

• Butter/margarine
• Cheese
• Red meat
• Fried foods
• Sweets and pastries

What are the benefits?

Food groups recommended in the MIND diet are a rich source of fiber and packed with several dietary nutrients that have been found to boost brain health. They include:

• Vitamin E
• Folate
• Omega-3 fatty acids
• Carotenoids
• Flavonoids

Research shows that the MIND diet can improve brain health and lower your odds of developing conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other forms of age-related cognitive decline.

Should I follow the MIND diet?

While there needs to be more research on the overall benefits of the MIND diet, it’s a good, healthy diet that has shown promising results for overall brain health.

Before you start the MIND diet or any other diet, talk to your doctor and ask if it’s the right fit for your health. If you’re not sure how to get started, ask a licensed nutritionist or a dietitian. They can help you come up with a meal plan that works best for you.