MIND Diet May Slow Biological Aging, Protect Against Dementia

A healthy eating plan called the Mediterranean-Dash Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet may help older adults slow biological aging and protect against dementia, according to a study published in the Annals of Neurology.¹

The MIND diet is a mix between Mediterranean and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diets. Maggie Moon, MS, RD, brain health nutrition specialist and best-selling author of The MIND Diet, explained in an interview with Health that the MIND diet prioritizes eating various vegetables, nuts, beans, berries, lean poultry, fish, olive oil, and whole grains. MIND encourages the minimization of food and drinks like alcohol, red meat, butter, sugar, cheese, and fried food.²

Researchers analyzed data from the Framingham Offspring Cohort, focusing on participants aged 60 years and older without dementia and with relevant dietary, epigenetic, and follow-up information. They tracked adherence to the MIND diet over 4 visits between 1991 and 2008 and measured the pace of aging based on blood DNA methylation data collected from 2005 to 2008 using the DunedinPACE epigenetic clock. Incident dementia and mortality were also tracked from 2005 to 2018 using study records.

Among the 1,644 included participants (with an average age of 69.6, 54% female), 140 people developed dementia and 471 passed away during the 14-year follow-up period. A higher MIND score was correlated with a slower DunedinPACE and decreased risks of dementia and mortality and a slower DunedinPACE was linked to lower risks of dementia and mortality. In mediation analysis, it was found that the pace of aging accounted for a substantial portion of the association between diet and dementia. 

These results suggest that a slower pace of aging may partly explain why a healthy diet is associated with a reduced risk of dementia. Monitoring aging speed could be useful in preventing dementia. 

Moon hypothesizes that MIND is effective due to including foods high in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, and antioxidants. Beyond dementia prevention, she recommends the MIND diet to reduce stroke risk, type 2 diabetes, stress, and anxiety, high blood pressure, and increase insulin sensitivity.

“A large fraction of the diet-dementia association remains unexplained and may reflect direct connections between diet and brain aging that do not overlap other organ systems,” noted researchers. “Investigation of brain-specific mechanisms in well-designed mediation studies is warranted.”

Reference

1. Thomas A, Ryan CP, Caspi A, et al. Diet, pace of biological aging, and risk of dementia in the Framingham Heart Study. Ann Neurol. Published online February 26, 2024. doi:10.1002/ana.26900
2. Manaker L. Following the MIND diet may help slow aging and lower dementia risk, study shows. Health. Published April 4, 2024. Accessed April 4, 2024. www.health.com/mind-diet-slow-aging-reduce-dementia-risk-8623073