What Is the MIND Diet? Experts Explain How the Eating Plan Could Protect Your Brain

When you hear the word ‘diet,’ you may think of juice cleanses, Atkins or some of the weight-loss-focused fad diets that came out of the ’90s and early 2000s. But this isn’t that type of diet. Instead of changing how you look, the MIND diet helps to change how you think – literally. But what actually is the MIND diet?

Indeed, what you eat can have a major impact on your long-term brain health, according to Jennifer Ventrelle, a dietitian and co-author of The Official MIND Diet. While it’s far from the only factor at play, incorporating the best foods for brain health into your daily menu can be a great tool to help prevent cognitive decline and related conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s as you age.

Ahead, experts share what the MIND diet is, how it gives your brain a boost and their tips for incorporating it into your meals.

What is the MIND diet, exactly?

The MIND diet – or the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay diet – was pioneered in 2015 by nutritional epidemiologist Martha Clare Morris and a team of researchers at Rush University in Chicago. As the name suggests, it combines elements of the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets with a more precise focus on supporting mental longevity.

As people age, they become more susceptible to dementia, Alzheimer’s and general cognitive decline. While this cognitive decline is often a normal part of ageing, it can severely impact quality of life. The MIND diet shapes your plate around foods that may help fight these conditions and protect your brain.

“The first observational study addressing cognitive decline and the MIND diet found that the people who had the highest adherence… had the rate of cognitive decline equivalent to being about seven and a half years younger,” Jennifer says. And that body of evidence is only growing: A more recent study found that following the MIND diet was associated with a four per cent reduced risk of cognitive impairment, though the results varied based on sex and race.

We often think of natural cognitive decline setting in during the latter half of a person’s life, usually in their 60s and 70s. But preventative measures work best when they begin long in advance, explains Laura Morris, a chef, co-author of The Official MIND Diet and Martha’s daughter.

“Brain health is something that’s a little bit delayed; [what you do now] impacts how you’re going to be a few decades from now. So the sooner the better,” she says. Both Laura and Jennifer say that they make a point of feeding their young kids brain-healthy diets. Conversely, even if you’re at the age that cognitive decline may be approaching, Laura says, “you’re never too late to start taking care of your brain… Any time is a good time to start.”

Which foods does the MIND diet prioritize?

Instead of strict formulas or measurements, the MIND diet offers general guidelines about how often you should have certain types of food on your plate.

What to eat daily, according to the MIND diet

• Leafy greens: One serving per day (kale, spinach, silverbeet and so on)
• Colourful vegetables: One serving per day (capsicums, carrots, Brussels sprouts and so on)
• Wholegrains: Three servings per day (oats, brown rice, quinoa and so on)
• Extra virgin olive oil: Two tablespoons per day

What to eat weekly, according to the MIND diet

• Fish: One serving per week (sardines, herring, salmon and so on)
• Poultry: Two servings per week (chicken, turkey and so on)
• Legumes: Three servings per week (black beans, chickpeas, edamame and so on)
• Berries: Half a cup, five times per week (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and so on)
• Nuts: 28g, five times per week (almonds, pistachios, walnuts and so on)

While many of these recommendations also appear in the Mediterranean and DASH diets, the MIND diet’s specific attention to brain health is made clear in some key differences.

While the Mediterranean and DASH diets both generally prioritise vegetables, the MIND diet specifically highlights leafy greens. Jennifer says this is because they have more lutein, beta carotene, zeaxanthin and other carotenoids than other types of vegetables. These naturally occurring pigments have antioxidant properties, which studies show may lower your risk of cardiovascular and neurological disorders. Jennifer adds that the high flavonol content specific to leafy greens “not only slows rates of cognitive decline but [supports] cognitive reserve.”

Additionally, while the two original diets suggest eating fruit broadly, the MIND diet focuses on berries because of their higher flavanol and anthocyanin content.

Which foods does the MIND diet limit?

Unfortunately, when you’re building a plate that prioritises brain health, all of your favourite foods may not make the cut. That doesn’t mean you can never eat these foods, but it may be worth limiting your intake.

What to limit daily, according to the MIND diet

• Butter and margarine: No more than once a day

What to limit weekly, according to the MIND diet

• Fried foods: No more than once a week
• Full-fat cheese: No more than twice a week
• Red and processed meat: No more than three times a week in total
• Sweets and pastries: No more than four times a week

You might notice these foods all fit into one of two categories: highly processed foods or animal products. That’s no coincidence.

Highly processed foods can be harmful to your health in a wide variety of ways, but particularly detrimental to your brain health. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health concluded that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with an increased risk of dementia in older Americans.

And although animal products can be far less processed than something like a chocolate bar, they’re not automatically better for your brain. They tend to have higher levels of saturated fats, which, per the American Heart Association, can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease when eaten often. And, as it turns out, what’s bad for your heart is also bad for your brain. A study, published in JAMA, found that reducing blood pressure was associated with healthier, less dementia-prone brains.

Importantly, Laura says that the items on this list don’t have to be completely axed from your shopping trolley. “The really cool thing about the MIND diet is that it’s for everyone because of that flexibility,” she explains. So there’s no need to skip out on a hot dog at the footy or pass on your friend’s birthday cake. There’s still room for treats.

How strictly should you follow the MIND diet?

“That’s another way in which the MIND diet is unique because there’s a scoring system that goes along with it,” says Jennifer. Simply taking an online quiz “allows you to see how closely your eating pattern aligns with all this research,” she adds. Absolute adherence to the MIND diet’s recommendations would earn you a score of 15. However, Jennifer says that you don’t need a top score to reap the diet’s brain-boosting benefits.

“The therapeutic level is… as low as a seven,” she clarifies. This means that even if you’re not following the diet to a T, just adding in more MIND-diet-approved foods or cutting back on the opposite could have a significant impact.

“If you have diabetes, for example, and you’re trying to eat fewer carbohydrates, maybe you won’t hit the carbohydrate targets,” says Laura. “But then you can focus on the other foods we know to help support the brain because it’s really about a pattern of foods that you get in… You can adjust it to what you’re dealing with and what your health needs are.”

How to start the MIND diet

For people who are interested in the MIND diet but may be overwhelmed by actually starting, Laura recommends just “[starting] with one, maybe two things.” She says this can be as simple as adding blueberries to your morning cereal or snacking on edamame in between meals.

Even if you’re starting at a lower score, Jennifer says that improving by just four points could significantly improve cognitive performance, referring to a recent study that she was a part of.

Although a very helpful one, diet is just one of many tools for protecting your cognitive function. A JAMA-published study indicates that it’s the combination of brain-healthy activities – regular physical exercise, cognitive challenges and social interactions – in addition to diet that can help improve cognition.