While there is no way to stave off aging and prevent dementia, a growing body of research suggests that our diet may play a role in brain health.
A team at Columbia University is contributing to this conversation by showing how the MIND diet may be better at preventing dementia.
The study, published in the Annals of Neurology, investigated the hypothesis that a healthy diet protects against dementia by slowing the body’s overall rate of biological aging.
Study Details
To test this hypothesis, researchers followed participants aged 60 and over who were free of dementia. Throughout the study, participants were evaluated every four to seven years, undergoing physical exams and lifestyle questionnaires.
The investigation began in 1971 and from 1991 onwards, researchers began collecting blood for neurocognitive tests.
The researchers focused on 1,644 participants, 140 of whom developed dementia during the study period.
To measure the rate of biological aging, they used an epigenetic clock that measures how quickly a person’s body deteriorates as they age.
Discoveries
The study found that greater adherence to the Mediterranean-Dash Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet was associated with a slower rate of aging.
Importantly, this slower rate of aging was also associated with reduced risks of dementia and mortality.
In fact, researchers determined that a slower rate of aging accounted for 27% of the association between a healthy diet and reduced risk of dementia and 57% of the association between a healthy diet and reduced risk of mortality.
What is the MIND diet?
The MIND diet is an eating plan that combines elements of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet.
This includes foods such as leafy vegetables, nuts, berries, fish, olive oil, whole grains and poultry, while limiting your intake of unhealthy foods such as red meat, butter and sweets.
