What to Know About the MIND Diet

Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay or MIND diet may be quite a mouthful, but to sum up, it follows the key principles of the Mediterranean and DASH diets to reduce one’s risk of dementia and other symptoms relating to cognitive decline. 

This new diet is garnering a lot of love this year for its eating pattern that shows the protective effects of certain foods specifically tied to brain health. 

This particular eating plan was developed by nutrition researcher Martha Clare Morris, Ph.D., and her colleagues at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

The MIND diet comprises two main components— the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet. We all know that a Mediterranean diet, based on healthy plant-based proteins and fats, focuses on maintaining a healthy heart. 

The DASH diet, on the other hand, focuses on keeping the blood pressure level under control. Merging the two, therefore, makes good dietary sense.

Nutritionist Preety Tyagi, founder of MY22BMI—a digital healthcare startup—says, “MIND diet is focused towards improving the brain function of the body. It was created to help prevent dementia and support brain health with ageing. It is a diet that comprises foods that improve the nervous system and brain health in the body.”

Best Bet for Those Over 50

The diet is particularly well-suited for the elderly as it supports brain health, along with reducing the risk of chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and heart disease. 

Sakshi Bakshi, the founder of Delhi-based Nucros Science and Taste, which devises diet meal plans for consumers with DNA-based diet meals, said “MIND diet is a workable diet because it is based on fresh produce and a multigrain diet which directly improves heart health.” 

Instead of intaking high-fat products like red meat, cheese, butter, as also limitations on salt and certain fruits, this diet encourages people to consume a lot of berries, nuts, whole grains, omega 3, and leafy greens.

What Works

Additionally, the diet also reduces chronic inflammation that can wreak havoc on vital organs and is even linked to diseases such as cancer, heart ailment, anxiety, depression, and diabetes. 

Bakshi says, “Older adults who follow the MIND diet have a 53 per cent lower risk of having Alzheimer’s.” 

“The foods included in this diet are naturally rich in antioxidants, and so help reduce oxidative stress that may lead to the development of Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease,” she added.

Lovneet Batra, a Delhi-based clinical nutritionist, also backed the formula, saying that research also supports MIND diet slowing cognitive decline and building cognitive resilience in older adults independent of age-related brain pathologies.” 

Easy to Follow

Focusing on the consumption of green leafy vegetables, legumes, berries, nuts, whole grains, and fish, the MIND diet can be easily incorporated into traditional Indian households. 

“For example, you don’t need to source exotic ingredients (such as frozen berries). Instead, use locally available options with similar nutritional profile (pomegranate/jamun/phalsa),” says Batra.

The trick is to start small—maybe a week-long plan to see how well you can incorporate the MIND diet into your lifestyle. 

Every diet allows for some cheating now and then. There are also countless recipes online to aid with satiating the tastebuds while adhering to the meal plan.