Greater Adherence to the MIND Diet Linked to Slower Brain Aging

A prospective US study suggests that greater adherence to the Mediterranean–Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet was associated with slower structural brain aging, including reduced gray matter loss and slower enlargement of brain ventricles over time. In the analysis of 1,647 middle-aged and older participants from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort, MIND diet scores were calculated using validated food frequency questionnaires collected at multiple exams, while brain imaging markers were repeatedly assessed between 1999 and 2019. Over a median follow-up of 12.3 years, individuals with higher MIND diet scores experienced a slower decline in total gray matter volume, with each three-point increase in the score linked to a 0.279 cm³ per year slower reduction—equivalent to about a 20% attenuation in age-related change and roughly 2.5 years less brain aging during follow-up. Higher adherence was also associated with slower increases in lateral ventricular volume, particularly in the left ventricle, reflecting additional delays in brain aging of about one year. Overall, these findings suggest that following the MIND diet may help preserve brain structure and support long-term brain health. Source: https://jnnp.bmj.com/