Researchers at RUSH University Medical Center are further studying the MIND diet, first developed by colleagues in 2015, and have found further evidence that what we eat translates into how our brain functions.
According to RUSH, the MIND diet has 14 dietary components, including nine brain-healthy food groups and five unhealthy groups.
To adhere to and benefit from the MIND diet, a person would need to eat at least three servings of whole grains, a green leafy vegetable and one other vegetable every day, snack most days on nuts, have beans every other day or so, eat poultry and berries at least twice a week and fish at least once a week.
A person also must limit intake of designated unhealthy foods, limiting butter to less than 1 1/2 teaspoons a day and eating less than a serving a week of sweets and pastries, whole fat cheese, and fried or fast food.
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To further establish the association between nutrition and brain health, RUSH has several studies underway. Some are enrolling right now.
One study being conducted with the Alzheimer’s Association and enrolling until March 2023 is called the U.S. Pointer study. Participants between the ages of 60 and 79 will tracks the foods they eat and undergo various health assessments.
“These upcoming studies, and the findings from these dietary intervention trials are going to dictate us more and we'll be helping establish more on these links,” said Dr. Puja Agarwal, a nutritional epidemiologist at RUSH.
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“If we have good habits, especially dietary habits earlier on in life, that's going to make sure that we maintain our cognitive function and decrease, slash minimize, our risk as much as possible for Alzheimer's and dementia,” said Dr. Thomas Holland, a RUSH physician and scientist.
So which foods are best and which should you avoid? Here's what they said:
Which foods are best
Berries
Berries are an example of a food that can help boost brain health.
“Any kind of berry is good. They all are rich in antioxidants. They are all rich in bioactives. We have very strong evidence for strawberries and blueberries,” said Agarwal, who recently looked at specific bioactive compound in strawberries.
“Those who are consuming more strawberries, like more than one cup of strawberry per week, had almost 24% reduced risk of developing dementia,” Agarwal added.
Foods High in Flavonols
Holland published a study in November 2022 that looked at a group of flavonoids, found specifically in fruits and vegetables, called flavonols.
“We found that the dietary intake of flavonols was associated with a reduction in the rate of cognitive decline by 32%,” Dr. Holland said.
NBC 5’s Lauren Petty asked Holland to give examples of foods high in flavonols.
“The foods in particular are going to be dark leafy greens, so we're talking kale, spinach, arugula, romaine lettuce, as well as onions, tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, tea, wine has a bit as well,” Holland said.
Which foods to avoid or limit
The list of designated unhealth foods includes:
- red meat
- butter and stick margarine
- cheese
- pastries and sweets
- fried or fast food
Joan Lieb, 85, was recently diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer’s disease.
“I was having trouble remembering people's names, names of things,” Lieb said. “It was this last year, which was 2022, that I felt it was getting worse.”
She’s loading up on what she believes are brain-heathy foods, stocking her fridge with salad mixes, grapes, tomatoes and oranges. She also keeps bags of frozen strawberries and blueberries in her freezer.
“We have blueberries every single morning for breakfast with cereal and different fruits, but always with blueberries. I eat chocolate every night after dinner,” Lieb said.
While blueberries are definitely included in the MIND diet, chocolate, although full of bioactive compounds, is still being studied.
“We still need more studies to really have good evidence on chocolate,” Agarwal said. “The list of the food items on the MIND diet are those on which we have strong scientific evidence for the brain health. So we have evidence for green leafy vegetables, for berries, for legumes and nuts, for fish. Omega three is the main fatty acid essential fatty acid required for brain health.
