Your brain’s new best friend is hiding in the kitchen: It’s the MIND diet; know what it is | Health

It’s about time that we focus on a diet that can help in improving brain health. A recent study led by Dr. Russell P. Sawyer, University of Cincinnati states that the MIND diet can help in boosting the brain and improving the way we retain memories.

The MIND diet is not just another fad. It is a combination of two well-planned diets – Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet. MIND stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. This diet consists of a menu that helps in boosting brain health.

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What does the MIND diet consists of?

According to the study, the MIND diet consists of leafy greens like spinach and kale, colourful vegetables, whole grains, fish or poultry, a handful of nuts, a sprinkle of berries, and a drizzle of olive oil. The diet consists of food items that are believed to boost brain health. It also restricts the addition of food items that are not good for the brain. Fried food items, red meat, pastries and sweet items are recommended to be avoided. However, there’s good news for people enjoying a serving of alcoholic beverages once in a while – a glass of wine a day is approved in the diet.

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Findings of the study:

The study was conducted on 14,145 people for ten years. The participants were asked to fill out forms with the diet that they follow. Based on that, they were divided into three groups – low, medium or high adherence to the MIND diet recommendations.

After a decade, it was observed that people with low adherence to the MIND diet showed more tendency of cognitive decline than the ones who followed a diet close to the MIND diet recommendations. After considering other factors such as age, high blood pressure, and diabetes, it was observed that people who followed the MIND diet, showed a 4% lower risk of cognitive decline than the ones who didn’t.

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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.