MIND how you go… plant-based to combat dementia
Dementia threatens the wellbeing of many older adults, so finding ways to prevent it is of great importance.
The Mediterranean Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet focuses on plant-based foods, especially berries and green leafy vegetables with little, if any, animal-based or fatty foods. The MIND diet has shown promising results in previous studies, lowering the risk for Alzheimer’s disease and slowing cognitive decline.
This review, looking at three prospective cohort studies including 18,136 participants and a meta-analysis including 224,049 participants, found those adhering most closely to the MIND diet had a 17 per cent lower risk of dementia. The authors concluded that following the MIND diet may lower the risk of dementia in middle-aged and older adults.
Chen H, Dhana K, Huang Y et al. 2023. Association of the Mediterranean dietary approaches to stop hypertension intervention for neurodegenerative delay (MIND) diet with the risk of dementia. JAMA Psychiatry. 80 (6) 630-638.
About the author
Dr. Justine Butler
Justine joined Viva! in 2005 after graduating from Bristol University with a PhD in molecular biology. After working as a campaigner, then researcher and writer, she is now Viva!’s head of research and her work focuses on animals, the environment and health. Justine’s scientific training helps her research and write both in-depth scientific reports, such as White Lies and the Meat Report, as well as easy-to-read factsheets and myth-busting articles for consumer magazines and updates on the latest research. Justine also recently wrote the Vegan for the Planet guide for Viva!’s Vegan Now campaign.
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