The MIND Diet Was Built to Protect the Brain, and Researchers Are Testing Its Impact on Dementia Risk
“The MIND diet would be most appealing to those who want to focus on brain health as they age."
The MIND diet was designed to slow cognitive decline, and readers are asking whether it truly works as new research on the MIND diet delivers some interesting results. Here’s what the latest science says about brain protection, dementia risk and how to eat for a healthier mind.
What is the MIND diet and how does it work for brain health?
The MIND diet combines parts of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet into an eating pattern aimed at protecting the aging brain, according to Cleveland Clinic. It emphasizes grains, leafy greens and berries while limiting foods like baked goods and red meat that are linked to early aging.
The plan is designed to reduce brain inflammation, improve blood flow, lower harmful proteins and supply steady brain fuel. “The main intent around the MIND diet is to prevent cognitive decline,” registered dietitian Alexis Supan, RD, LD, said. Foods on the plan provide fiber, vitamin E and folate, along with omega-3 fatty acids, carotenoids and flavonoids that support overall brain function.
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What foods are on the MIND diet food list?
The Dementia Society of America highlights seven brain-friendly food groups at the core of the MIND diet. Leafy greens like spinach, kale and lettuce, are linked to slower memory decline. Berries such as blueberries and strawberries, are rich in antioxidants. Nuts, including walnuts, almonds and cashews, are healthy fats. Whole grains like oatmeal, brown rice and whole wheat bread are also suggested. Fatty fish such as salmon, trout and sardines are good for omega-3s. Olive oil helps reduce brain inflammation. Beans are for protein and steady fiber.
Beginners can find sample menus from Massachusetts General Hospital and EatingWell. “The MIND diet would be most appealing to those who want to focus on brain health as they age,” Liz Weinandy, an outpatient dietitian and clinical instructor at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center, told AARP. “If you have a family history of Alzheimer’s or dementia, this diet may be especially attractive.”
Does the MIND diet actually prevent Alzheimer’s and dementia?
The evidence is mixed. Observational research shows strong links between the MIND diet and slower cognitive decline, but a major randomized trial found only modest improvements over a control diet.
A 2015 study followed 960 older adults for nearly five years and found those who most closely followed MIND-friendly eating had slower declines in memory and thinking, roughly equivalent to 7.5 years of cognitive aging. “Research shows that people who closely follow the MIND diet greatly reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by 53%,” Supan said. “And people who moderately adhere to the MIND diet reduce their risk by 35%.”
A 2022 trial in obese women reported improvements in working memory, verbal recognition and attention on the MIND diet compared with a standard control diet. But a large 2023 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which randomly assigned 604 older adults with a family history of dementia to either the MIND diet or a control diet with mild calorie restriction for three years, found cognitive gains in both groups but no statistically significant difference between them.
Why did the biggest MIND diet trial show only small gains?
Weight loss and dietitian support in both groups likely narrowed the gap, according to the researchers who ran the trial at RUSH.
“What we saw was improvement in cognition in both groups, but the MIND diet intervention group had a slightly better improvement in cognition, although not significantly better,” said lead study author Lisa Barnes, PhD, associate director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at RUSH. “Both groups lost approximately 5 kilograms over three years, suggesting that it could have been weight loss that benefited cognition in this trial.”
Jennifer Ventrelle, assistant professor in the Departments of Preventive Medicine and Clinical Nutrition and lead dietitian on the trial, noted that both groups received extensive coaching from registered dietitians. “The good news is that this helped all participants improve on average, but unfortunately hindered the ability to detect significant differences between the two groups in this relatively short period of time,” she said. Average weight loss reached about 5.5% of initial body weight, exceeding the 3% study target.
Is it too late to start the MIND diet in your 60s or 70s?
No. A 2025 study from the University of Hawai’i Cancer Center found that improving MIND diet adherence at any age was tied to lower dementia risk, including among people who started later in life.
The research showed the MIND diet had a stronger and more consistent link to reduced dementia risk than other healthy diets, with the pattern holding across five racial groups. People who improved their adherence to MIND over 10 years, including those who didn’t follow the diet closely at first, had a 25% lower risk of dementia compared with those whose adherence declined.
“Our study findings confirm that healthy dietary patterns in mid to late life and their improvement over time may prevent Alzheimer’s and related dementias,” said Song-Yi Park, PhD, a professor in the Population Sciences in the Pacific Program at the UH Cancer Center. “The take-home message is encouraging,” Park added. “It’s never too late to make changes.”
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