Diet found to reduce dementia by as much as 25%

Adopting a specific diet recommended by experts could significantly lower your risk of dementia in later life. It's estimated that nearly one million people in the UK are living with this incurable disease. However, recent research suggests that our daily dietary choices can greatly influence our chances of developing it.

Scientists from the American Society for Nutrition have unveiled the findings of their latest study, which explores the impact of a particular diet on slowing down or even preventing the onset of dementia. They refer to this as the Mediterranean-DASH intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) eating plan, which combines elements of the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH).

The Mediterranean diet emphasises the consumption of leafy greens, vegetables, nuts, and healthy fats, while the DASH diet promotes foods that aid in reducing blood pressure.

The study analysed data from almost 93,000 adults who provided information about their diets, with data being collected since the 90s. The results indicated that those who followed the MIND diet had a lower risk of dementia compared to those who adhered to other healthy diets.

There appears to be no variance in the effectiveness of a brain-boosting diet among different age brackets, indicating that individuals can reap the cognitive rewards at any stage in life. University of Hawaii at Manoa's Professor Song-Yi Park endorsed the diet's efficacy, saying: "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.This suggests that it is never too late to adopt a healthy diet to prevent dementia."

Further examination of the data reveals that participants who steadily embraced or improved their adherence to the MIND diet over a decade— even those who initially did not stick to it closely—had a 25% reduced risk of developing dementia compared with those did not stick to it as well, a consistency observed across all ages and ethnicities.

What constitutes the MIND diet?

The MIND diet is a combination of the Mediterranean diet and DASH. This means it incorporated food groups from both diets.

Mediterranean diet

There is no strict food plan for the Mediterranean diet. However, in general people are expected to eat some of the following on a regular basis:

• Olive oil
• Raw vegetables
• Fruit
• No more than 100ml of fruit juice aday
• Less than 100g of red or processed meat each day
• Legumes
• Fish (preferably oily fish such as sardines)
• Nuts

DASH

DASH is an eating plan which focuses on eating foods that help reduce blood pressure and therefore, boasts benefits for heart health. It includes eating:

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Whole grains
• Fat-free or low-fat dairy products
• Fish
• Poultry
• Beans
• Nuts
• Vegetable oils

Meanwhile, followers of this diet are advised to reduce consumption of foods high in saturated fats such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, fizzy drinks, sweets, and tropical oils such as coconut and palm oils.