MIND Diet Tied to Better Cognitive Function in Older Adults

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 6, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Adherence to the MIND diet (a hybrid of the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet) is associated with better memory and thinking skills independent of Alzheimer disease pathology, according to a study published online Sept. 14 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Klodian Dhana, M.D., Ph.D., from the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and colleagues evaluated 569 decedents with valid dietary data, cognitive testing proximate to death, and complete autopsy data.

The researchers found that a higher MIND diet score was associated with better global cognitive functioning proximate to death, with the strength and the significance of the association persisting when Alzheimer disease pathology and other brain pathologies were included in the model. After controlling for global Alzheimer disease pathology, the β-estimate was 0.111. When restricting the analysis to individuals without mild cognitive impairment at baseline, the MIND diet-cognition relationship remained significant, as it did with people who received a postmortem diagnosis of Alzheimer disease based on National Institute on Aging-Reagan consensus recommendations.

“The diet seemed to have a protective capacity and may contribute to cognitive resilience in the elderly,” Dhana said in a statement.

Several authors disclosed receiving consulting fees from companies.

Abstract/Full Text