MIND Your Diet: A Path to Better Brain Health

Happy Friday!

‘You are what you eat’ takes on new meaning when it comes to brain health. Recent studies have shown that our dietary choices profoundly impact brain structure and performance.

The brain, while only about 2% of our body weight, consumes roughly 20% of our daily caloric intake, underscoring the critical role nutrition plays in maintaining optimal brain function.

Enter the MIND diet, a dietary pattern designed to boost cognitive function and protect our brains from age-related problems such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.

The MIND diet is a hybrid of the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, developed by Professor Martha Clare Morris and her team at the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging in Chicago.

The Science Behind MIND

I’m not as worried about my physical health as my brain health these days. Thank You Be Well! So I was intrigued to hear that combining elements of two quality diets

(in the sense of eating plans, rather than weight loss) provides a double-whammy for cognitive wellbeing.

Research on the MIND diet has shown compelling results. A 2015 study found that adherence to the MIND diet was associated with slower cognitive decline. The difference in cognitive decline rates between those in the highest and lowest tertiles was equivalent to being 7.5 years younger in age.

More recent studies have backed these astonishing results:

– A 2021 study showed it slowed cognitive decline in stroke survivors.

– A 2022 study revealed that middle-aged adults who closely followed the MIND diet had faster information processing speeds.

– Another 2022 study found that obese women following a calorie-restricted MIND diet for three months showed improvements in working memory, verbal recognition memory, and attention.

Beyond Cognition

The MIND diet’s benefits likely extend beyond brain health. Its components are rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, which contribute to overall health and wellbeing. The diet’s effectiveness may lie in its ability to combat two key factors: oxidative stress and inflammation.

Oxidative stress occurs when there’s an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in the body. The brain is particularly vulnerable to this type of damage. Inflammation, while a natural response to injury and infection, can be harmful if not properly regulated and contributes to many chronic diseases.

Another intriguing aspect of the MIND diet is its potential to reduce harmful beta-amyloid proteins, which can accumulate in the brain, forming plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

The Big Picture

While nutrition is crucial, it’s just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to brain health. Lifestyle Medicine offers a comprehensive approach to living younger, healthier, and happier. Its pillars include:

1. Nutrition: emphasise whole, plant-based foods

2. Physical activity: regular movement and exercise

3. Sleep: focus on restorative sleep and sleep hygiene

4. Stress management: practice techniques to reduce stress

5. Avoid risky substances: tobacco, illicit drugs, and excessive alcohol

6. Healthy relationships: foster positive social connections

I believe gratitude, self-reflection (journaling) and exposure to nature are important additional pillars.

Genetics only account for about 20% of our health outcomes, and supplements play an even smaller role.By adopting the MIND diet and incorporating the principles

of Lifestyle Medicine, we can take significant steps towards maintaining our cognitive function and overall health as we age.

So it’s on us! We have so much more control about our healthspan and lifespan – our years of good living – than we think.

Look forward to seeing you at Be Well again soon!