The MIND Diet: What To Know

The MIND diet mixes parts of the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet to form the Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet.

Registered dietitian Alexis Supan, RD, LD, explains how the MIND diet can benefit your health and what foods you should be eating.

What is the MIND diet?

The MIND diet focuses on eating foods with the most direct brain benefits (think grains, leafy greens and berries) and limiting eating foods that promote early aging (like baked goods and red meat).

“The main intent around the MIND diet is to prevent cognitive decline,” outlines Supan. “The foods that you eat on the MIND diet are a good source of fiber, vitamin E, folate, omega-3 fatty acids, carotenoids and flavonoids. These can all contribute to your overall brain health.”

Benefits

The benefits of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet have been well studied — and the research around the MIND diet may be just as promising.

The MIND diet may:

• Lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
• Lower your blood pressure.
• Improve your memory.

“Research shows that people who closely follow the MIND diet greatly reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by 53%,” reports Supan. “And people who moderately adhere to the MIND diet reduce their risk by 35%.”

Supan adds that people who follow the MIND diet have also reported an improvement in cognition, sharper focus and less brain fog.

The key? Researchers believe the MIND diet leads to a reduction in your body’s oxidative stress and inflammation, which can mean good things not only for your brain but also for your heart.

“The MIND diet is also a very heart-healthy diet. It encourages healthy arteries, which means we have better blood flow to places all over our body,” explains Supan. “People can have heart attacks and strokes when big areas get cut off from blood flow.”

How to follow it

The idea behind the MIND diet is to focus on eating plant-based foods that are minimally processed, while limiting animal-based foods that are high in saturated fats and foods that are high in added sugar.

Another reason why the MIND diet is a great idea? It’s flexible. The guidelines are just that: guidelines. Even if you don’t strictly follow the MIND diet, you may reap some of the benefits.

So, what foods prevent cognitive decline and can offer other health benefits? Supan says the MIND diet includes the following foods.

Berries

You want to eat a serving of berries — think strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries — at least twice a week.

“Berries tend to be high in fiber and they tend to be high in antioxidants,” says Supan. “If you eat a half a cup of raspberries or blueberries, you’re going to get a lot more antioxidant power than if you were to just eat watermelon or bananas.”

Leafy greens

The goal is to have six or more servings of leafy greens per week.

“It’s very similar to the logic behind the berries — leafy greens like kale, arugula and spinach — are loaded with antioxidants and are a little bit higher in fiber than most of the other vegetables out there,” she notes.

All other vegetables

When it comes to all other vegetables, strive for at least one serving per day.

“Opt for colorful and non-starchy vegetables like carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes,” says Supan.

Whole grains

Try to get at least three servings a day of whole grains like quinoa and oatmeal.

“Whole grains are a good source of fiber and nutrients. They cause less inflammation than white bread, rice and noodles,” explains Supan. “A lot of those overly processed grains are bad for our brains.”

Beans

Aim to get four or more servings of beans a week. This includes options like black beans, lentils, pinto beans and kidney beans.

“Beans are a great source of fiber and a really good source of protein,” says Supan. “Especially if you’re using beans for your protein source, you’re likely decreasing your animal protein. For example, you might do a black bean burger instead of a beef burger. It’s a good way to increase your fiber, get healthy protein and potentially decrease animal protein that would be higher in saturated fat.”

Nuts

The goal is to eat five or more servings of nuts a week.

And you can pick whatever variety you’d like — almonds, walnuts, pistachios.

“But you do want to be mindful not to go overboard with how many nuts you eat,” cautions Supan. “Some nuts can have a high-calorie count.”

Fish

You should be eating at least one serving of fish a week.

Fish is a great option because most contain omega-3 fatty acids, which help your brain function well.

“Fatty fish, like salmon, trout, mackerel and sardines, are more beneficial thanks to their omega-3s,” clarifies Supan. “But any fish will do. Fish eat phytoplankton, which are rich in nutrients that reduce inflammation throughout your brain and body.”

Poultry

You want to aim for eating a serving of poultry at least twice a week.

Poultry is a source of nourishing protein, but it all depends on how you prepare your chicken or turkey.

“For poultry, ideally, you want to stick to a chicken or turkey breast with no skin and all the visible fat trimmed off,” advises Supan. “We want to remove saturated fat. Anytime we’re eating animal products — outside of fish — a lot of the fat we’re getting is saturated fat, and that’s what’s going to increase the inflammation in our bodies and also compromise the health of our arteries.”

Also, you can eat eggs. Choline (found in egg yolks) is a B vitamin that contributes to healthy brain function.

Olive oil

Choose extra-virgin olive oil as your go-to cooking oil, rather than other types of oil, butter or margarine.

Can you drink wine?

You can, but it’s certainly not a requirement.

“If you’re going to have alcohol, your best bet is to choose a dry, red wine and have a glass a day, no more,” warns Supan. “Red wine is the better choice than bourbon or beer, but it’s always better to just completely abstain from alcohol as far as your health goes.”

Foods to limit or avoid

The MIND diet encourages you to limit or avoid the following foods:

Red meats

Studies show that red meat, such as beef and pork, increases inflammation, which may affect memory as we age.

Butter and stick margarine

“Small amounts of high-quality butter are OK on occasion,” says Supan. “But I suggest avoiding margarine and products made with soybean, corn or cottonseed oils, all of which are sky-high in pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids.”

Omega-6 fatty acids increase inflammation throughout our brains and bodies.

Cheese

Cheese typically has high amounts of saturated fats, as well as sodium. Limit cheese to small amounts of higher-quality products, such as products made from grass-fed animals.

Pastries and sweets

Think of pastries and sweets as an occasional indulgence — not an everyday treat.

“If it’s your birthday, go for it,” says Supan. “But these items entertain, they don’t nourish.”

If you want to bake something sweet, she suggests using whole-grain flour, dark chocolate, fruit and oats.

“Most store-bought treats are made of stripped carbs and ultra-processed oils that spike blood sugars, waste your insulin and increase your risk of dementia,” stresses Supan.

Deep-fried or fast food

Yep, we’re talking about fried chicken and french fries. These types of foods are built from stripped carbs and pro-inflammatory oils.

“Watch the words: For example, fast food isn’t food; it’s fast. Junk food isn’t food; it’s junk. If you have to qualify it, it’s usually not food,” clarifies Supan. “So, I suggest only indulging in these types of foods occasionally.”

Can you adapt the MIND diet?

Yes, says Supan.

“The biggest adaptation I’ve seen most are people who won’t get three servings a day of whole grains because they don’t want that much starch,” she says. “And that’s OK as long as you don’t replace whole grains for refined grains. Ideally, you’re adding more fish and vegetables instead.”

If you have other ideas on how you’d like to adapt the MIND diet, Supan suggests talking to a healthcare provider or a registered dietitian who can make helpful suggestions and offer guidance.

Bottom line?

Supan is a fan of the MIND diet and encourages most people to consider giving it a try.

She suggests starting out slowly, as you may experience digestive issues like bloating and gassiness from the increase in fiber.

To do so, she says to keep track of your current daily fiber intake for a week or two and then increase your daily fiber intake by 5 grams for a week to see how your body adjusts. You can keep increasing each week until you’re able to follow the MIND diet closely. (Another pro tip? Make sure you drink plenty of water, which will help lessen any digestive issues.)

Overall, Supan says the MIND diet is based on sound science and offers helpful guidelines for a healthy diet.

Best of all? Moderation counts: The MIND diet offers brain benefits even when you don’t follow it to the letter.