(CNN) — A recent study has revealed that adhering to a combination of two well-regarded diets can significantly slow aging in crucial brain areas by more than two years.
The study highlights a brain-centric dietary approach known as the Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, or MIND diet. This regimen unites the most beneficial aspects of the Mediterranean diet and the well-respected heart-focused Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, known for its low sodium content.
While all three diets share plant-based principles and considerable similarities, the MIND diet specifically prioritizes key foods believed to diminish the risk of dementia. These include berries, beans, leafy greens, fish, poultry, whole grains, olive oil, and nuts. Conversely, foods high in saturated fats—like cheese, butter, red meat, and fried items—are strictly limited.
“Participants who closely followed the MIND diet appeared to experience slower structural brain aging over a 12-year period,” noted Changzheng Yuan, a research professor at Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, China, via email.
“Specifically, they demonstrated a reduced loss of grey matter, which houses many nerve cells vital for memory, cognition, and decision-making,” Yuan explained.
An increase of just three points in adherence to the MIND diet correlated with a 20% reduction in gray matter shrinkage—equating to a delay in brain aging of approximately 2.5 years, according to the findings.
Both the Mediterranean and MIND diets have been linked in previous studies to a decrease in cognitive decline and a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. This recent research aligns with those earlier conclusions and provides “further support for a Mediterranean-style dietary pattern,” stated prominent nutrition researcher Dr. Walter Willett in an email.
Willett, who serves as a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and as a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, was not involved in this particular study.
Impact on Additional Brain Areas
The study, published Tuesday in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, examined the dietary habits of more than 1,600 adults participating in a segment of the Framingham Heart Study, a long-term investigation aimed at identifying cardiovascular risk factors. This particular branch of the study began in 1999 and included individuals with an average age of 60 who had no signs of stroke or dementia.
Throughout an average follow-up period of 12 years, participants filled out dietary questionnaires, underwent routine health assessments, and received at least two MRI brain scans.
Besides the reduced shrinkage of gray matter, those who adhered more closely to the MIND diet also exhibited a slower growth rate of the ventricles, which are fluid-filled cavities that typically expand as brain tissue diminishes with age, according to Yuan.
Every three-point increase in diet adherence was associated with an 8% slowing of ventricle enlargement, effectively reducing brain age by one year, as shown in the study. The enlargement of larger ventricles, which often accelerates after age 60, indicates increased brain atrophy, linked to Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline.
As an observational study, it cannot establish a causal relationship, pointed out Dr. David Katz, a preventive and lifestyle medicine specialist. He founded the nonprofit True Health Initiative, a global coalition dedicated to evidence-based lifestyle medicine.
Additionally, the study could not rule out reverse causality, which occurs when the effect of an action becomes the perceived cause, Katz noted, who also did not participate in the study.
“This means that individuals with healthier brain structure and function over time may have made better dietary choices,” he explained via email. “However, the more straightforward causal relationship—eating well benefits brain structure and function—remains most plausible.”
Examining Specific Foods
Berries and poultry emerged as the most beneficial foods linked to the anti-aging effects recorded in the study; berries slowed ventricle enlargement, while poultry reduced both gray matter loss and ventricle growth.
“Berries are high in antioxidants and other bioactive components, while poultry contributes high-quality protein to a balanced diet,” explained Hui Chen, the first author of the study and a professor of psychology and behavioral sciences at Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, China.
“Conversely, higher consumption of sweets and fried fast foods was generally associated with accelerated brain aging over time,” Chen continued.
Specifically, eating more sweets and fried foods was linked to faster ventricle expansion, while increased sugar intake was correlated with greater decay in the hippocampus, the brain region primarily associated with memory.
Interestingly, cheese consumption seemed to provide a protective effect on the brain, while a higher intake of whole grains was associated with more rapid gray matter decline.
However, Chen cautioned that the limited consumption of cheese on the MIND diet leads one to be careful in interpreting the findings as definitive evidence of its protective qualities.
As for whole grains, Yuan noted that what was classified as “whole grain” in the 1990s may not align with today’s standards for healthy whole grain products, meaning this should not be seen as a verdict against whole grains concerning brain health.
“It’s important to focus on the overall dietary pattern rather than honing in on individual foods, as the combined effects of what we consume are likely more significant than the influence of any single item,” Chen concluded.
Ultimately, this study reinforces the importance of a balanced diet, particularly one that incorporates the principles of the MIND diet, for maintaining cognitive health and slowing brain aging.
The-CNN-Wire
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