The MIND Diet Perks You May Have Missed
More than Alzheimer’s risk reduction
The MIND diet is one of our best tools to fend off Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. Closely following this brain-specific spin-off of the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s by as much as 53%.
Put another way: eating this way adds 7.5 years to the brain’s longevity. Most of the recipes I create for Brain Health Kitchen follow the MIND diet guidelines. But did you know that the MIND diet has also been shown to reduce the risk of other diseases, too? And, it bodes well for overall longevity.
(If you are new to the MIND diet or need a refresher, read here about its 10 brain-healthy food groups and 5 food groups to avoid.)
Delays and Reduces the Risk of Parkinson’s Disease
Parksinson’s is a neurodegenerative disease and movement disorder that often progresses to dementia. Just like with Alzheimer’s, there is no cure. And just like with Alzheimer’s, a combination of genetics, nutrition, and lifestyle are involved in getting the disease.
Now there’s new hope that Parkinson’s risk, like Alzheimer’s, can be reduced with a brain-healthy diet. In this study of older adults, those who followed the MIND diet most closely had 30% less chance of being diagnosed with Parkinson’s compared to those who were following it only sometimes. In fact, for each 1% increase in the MIND diet score (see below) participants had a 13% lower risk of developing the signs of parkinsonism, such as tremors, rigidity, gait abnormalities, and bradykinesia (slowed movement).
In this 2018 study in the Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging, following the MIND diet closely delayed Parkinson’s up to 7.4 years in men and up to 17.4 years in women. Seven and seventeen years! Yes, these numbers are remarkable.
May Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer
Following the MIND diet may also protect a woman from breast cancer, as this 2021 study showed. Those women with the highest MIND diet score had up to 60% lower odds of breast cancer compared to those who didn’t follow it closely. This was found to be especially true for postmenopausal women and women whose weight fell in the normal healthy range.
May Protect You from Glaucoma
In this very recent study out of Holland, closely following the MIND diet was associated with a lower risk of open-angle glaucoma. In fact, researchers found that eating leafy green vegetables in particular was found to reduce the risk by 20 to 30%. (I wrote you about leafy greens in more depth HERE.)This may explain why following the Mediterranean diet didn’t show the same risk reduction. The MIND diet, in contrast with the Mediterranean diet, includes leafy greens as a food group separate from other vegetables. Researchers postulate these brain health nutrients in leafy greens work double-time to protect your eyes: nitrate, vitamins A, B2, B9, C and E, lutein, and zeaxanthin.
MIND Diet Lengthens Lifespan
With reductions in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and breast cancer, it’s not surprising to find that the MIND diet enhances longevity, too, as found in this Scottish study. Those in the top one-third of adherence to the MIND diet had a 37% lower risk of dying from any cause over 12 years, compared to those in the bottom third.
You may be asking: What is the downside to following the MIND diet?
The MIND diet is easy to follow and packed with deliciousness (think: what’s it’s like to eat on vacation in Italy, assuming you aren’t just eating pizza, arancini, and gelato). It doesn’t require that you count calories, restrict food intake, or narrow the scope of what you eat (except some dairy products as well as fast and ultra-processed foods).
I wrote about keeping within MIND diet poultry guidelines HERE. My personal viewpoint: eating poultry is not essential in a brain-healthy diet. Skip this food group and your brain will still thrive. The MIND diet researchers included it mostly for practical reasons (to boost compliance in a diet that restricted red meat and dairy), and as a source of niacin (a B vitamin) and tryptophan (an amino acid).
The inclusion of alcohol in the MIND diet deserves a caveat. When the original MIND diet study was published in 2015, it included red wine (under 5 ounces a day) as one of the 10 brain-healthy food groups. Red wine is part of the Mediterranean lifestyle and has been thought to enhance heart and brain health. Since then, a landmark brain imaging study of more than 36,000 people shows that drinking daily (even small amounts) is associated with greater brain shrinkage over time than drinking infrequently or not at all. (I wrote to you about this HERE.)
In the follow-up of the MIND diet study, the MIND Diet Trial (nearing completion), researchers dropped red wine as a brain-healthy food group. Dr. Morris didn’t have access to this latest brain imaging data back in 2017 when she and her team were modifying the Trial guidelines. But the data had already been building. In my Q & A with Dr. Morris, she explains the decision to drop red wine:
“With every drink over that very low level (5 ounces per day), you are increasing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia as well as heart disease and breast cancer.” Dr. Martha Clare Morris
Coming soon: The MIND Diet Trial
The results to this follow-up of the MIND diet are highly anticipated. Because it is a randomized and placebo-controlled trial that includes brain imaging data, it has a more powerful statistical design than the original MIND diet study. Stay tuned for news of the results sometime this year.
What’s Your MIND Diet Score?
I’ll be back on Tuesday with a handy downloadable cheat sheet to help you track and follow your own MIND diet score. And, because January 3 is also the publication day of my new book, The Brain Health Kitchen: Preventing Alzheimer’s Through Food, I’ll celebrate with you by sharing one of my favorite recipes from the book.
If you’ve already pre-ordered the book, please accept my heartfelt thanks. Pre-ordering helps ensure this information reaches more brains. If you’ve also subscribed to the BHK Newsletter, you are a brain health superstar indeed. Thank you!
Love,
Annie
This is such important information and work. Thank you!
Didn't know red wine contributes to brain shrinkage.. Happy and Healthy Holidays!