What is the Mind diet?

If you don’t know it’s important to eat a diet rich in vegetables by now, here’s another reason to get you started.

New research published in the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia has found that a diet packed with leafy green veg, beans, berries, wholegrains and wine (yes, wine), can help slow normal brain ageing.

While cognitive decline is a normal part of ageing, a study by scientists at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago found that elderly adults who followed their ‘Mind’ diet over a period of 5 years, were 7.5 years younger cognitively.

“The study findings suggest that the Mind diet substantially slows cognitive decline with age,” study author Martha Clare Morris said in the report.

Researchers tested cognitive function of 960 adults with an average of 81.4 years living in the Chicago areas. After 4.7 years, they discovered a slowed decline in mental ability in those who most closely followed the Mind diet.

What is the Mind diet? It’s a combo if the Mediterranean and Dash diet. Taking elements of the Mediterranean diet’s preference for olive oil and vegetables, it combines with the dietary approach to stop hypertension with an eating plan to control high blood pressure.

More: Eat well for less than $50 a week

It recommends at least three servings of wholegrains, a salad and another vegetable each day, plus one glass of wine. Beans and poultry are eaten at least twice a week, and fish once a week. The only fruits consumed on the Mind diet are berries.

Following the lead of the Mediterranean diet, red meat, butter, cheese, sweets and fried food are limited.

While some age-related decline is a fact of life, researchers say it’s a promising step in knowing how what you eat can improve brain-power.

“There is still a great deal of study we need to do in this area,” Morris said. “I expect that we’ll make further modifications as the science on diet and the brain advances.”

Related:

Learn about Positive Ageing with Prevention!
Women slide into dementia faster than men