Key points from article :
As dementia rates rise with an aging population, new research offers hope through dietary change. A recent study suggests that following the MIND diet—a blend of the Mediterranean and DASH diets with a focus on brain-healthy foods like leafy greens, berries, and nuts—can significantly reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Presented at NUTRITION 2025 by Dr. Song-Yi Park from the University of Hawaii, the findings show that even modest improvements in diet can yield protective benefits for brain health.
Drawing on data from nearly 93,000 adults in the long-running Multiethnic Cohort Study, researchers found that those who closely followed the MIND diet had a 9% lower risk of dementia overall. The effect was even greater among African American, Latino, and White participants, who saw a 13% reduction. Remarkably, people who improved their MIND diet adherence over a decade reduced their dementia risk by 25%, highlighting the potential for long-term dietary habits to shape cognitive health.
However, the protective effect of the diet wasn’t uniform across all racial and ethnic groups. The association was weaker among Native Hawaiians and not significant among Asian Americans, possibly due to differing cultural diets or already lower dementia rates in those populations. Researchers emphasize the need for more tailored dietary assessments and further studies to explore these variations.
Despite its observational nature, the study adds strong evidence that healthy eating patterns—even adopted later in life—may play a vital role in reducing dementia risk. Experts hope future clinical trials will further confirm the MIND diet’s benefits and inform public health strategies aimed at preserving brain function into old age.
