#4 in Best Diets Overall
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The MIND diet takes two proven diets – DASH and Mediterranean – and zeroes in on the foods in each that specifically affect brain health, which may lower your risk of mental decline, according to initial research. And though there’s no surefire way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, eating healthful mainstays such as leafy greens, nuts and berries may lower a person’s risk of developing the progressive brain disorder. The MIND diet, which stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, was developed by Martha Clare Morris, a nutritional epidemiologist at Rush University Medical Center, through a study funded by the National Institute on Aging and published online February 2015. The study found the MIND diet lowered Alzheimer's risk by about 35 percent for people who followed it moderately well and up to 53 percent for those who adhered to it rigorously. And while more study is still needed to better understand the long-term impact of the diet, her team’s second paper on the MIND diet notes that it’s superior to the DASH and Mediterranean diets for preventing cognitive decline.
MIND Diet ranked #4 in Best Diets Overall. 41 diets were evaluated with input from a panel of health experts. See how we rank diets here.
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Every day, you eat at least three servings of whole grains, a salad and another vegetable, along with drinking a glass of wine. (While a little alcohol consumption seems to be better for the brain than none at all, you could skip the wine since it's not necessary to follow the guidelines to the letter to benefit.) On most days you snack on nuts, and every other day you eat half a cup of beans. At least twice a week you have poultry and a half-cup serving of berries (blueberries are best), and you dine on fish at least weekly. Olive oil is what you primarily use at home.
Berries, fresh vegetables and higher-quality olive oil are often pricier than processed, fatty, sugary foods.
It’s possible you will lose weight by following the MIND diet. While the MIND study was not geared toward weight loss, the brain-unhealthy foods frowned upon in MIND – such as whole dairy products, pastries, sweets and fried foods – are also tied to weight gain. By avoiding these foods, you might take off pounds while staving off dementia. As for the two diets on which MIND was based, some research has linked the Mediterranean diet to weight loss or being less likely to be overweight or obese. As with the DASH diet, you could lose weight on MIND, especially if you design your personal plan with a calorie deficit.
The MIND Diet is ranked #4 in Easiest Diets to Follow
See how well other diets ranked »With broad food group recommendations, and "permission" to stick to guidelines loosely, the MIND diet should be easy to follow.
You're on your own when it comes to building meals, but eating out is doable and alcohol is allowed in moderation.
You're on your own when it comes to finding or adapting recipes to the MIND diet. There's no grouping by meals, either, such as breakfast, lunch or dinner suggestions.
Eating out shouldn't be a problem for you with the MIND diet, other than limiting fast-food restaurants and avoiding fried entrees, butter-rich choices and cheese trays. Also, you'll pass on sweet desserts.
There aren’t any timesavers with the MIND diet, unless you can enlist help planning, shopping for and preparing meals. Otherwise, you're on your own.
While not specific to the MIND diet, you could probably get and adapt tips from the Oldways website, which is geared toward the Mediterranean diet. Similarly, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute gives advice on healthy eating and is geared toward lowering blood pressure and the DASH diet.
With MIND's emphasis on green leafy veggies, which are rich in fiber, and no calorie-cutting requirement, you can feel as full as you like. Nutrition experts stress the importance of satiety – that feeling you've had enough to eat.
If you're used to dishes like veggies cooked in butter, your taste buds will soon adapt to olive-oil flavor. The same goes for foods prepared by frying: You'll get used to baked or grilled versions instead.
Exercise is not addressed in the MIND diet to date. However, physical activity may help protect the brain in people at higher risk for Alzheimer’s, suggest previous studies, such as a 2014 study in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.
Government guidelines encourage adults to get at least two and a half hours of moderate-intensity activity like brisk walking each week, along with a couple days of muscle-strengthening activities.
