MIND Diet

The Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) Diet is a combination of the DASH and Mediterranean diets aimed at reducing dementia and the decline in brain health that often occurs as people age. The MIND diet was developed by the late Martha Clare Morris, a nutritional epidemiologist at Rush University Medical Center, through a study funded by the National Institute on Aging that was first published in 2015.

This diet focuses on foods like leafy greens, nuts and berries and is naturally low in carbs. If you follow the MIND Diet, you may lose weight. The initial MIND study was not aimed at weight loss, but rather to improve brain health with the overall goal of reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease and mental decline. Avoiding these foods can help you lose weight while reducing your risk of dementia. Like the DASH diet, you can lose weight with the MIND diet, so it's a highly adaptable and easy diet. Additionally, studies have shown that the MIND diet reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease in study participants by up to 53% (those who follow a strict diet). You can also combine the MIND diet with exercise for faster and better results.