Posted on 06/08/2025 6:39:53 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
It’s never too late to start eating better to prevent dementia, according a new analysis of research involving 90,000 adults.
People over the age of 45 who followed a dietary pattern known as the MIND diet were “significantly” less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease or related forms of dementia, said the University of Hawaii scientists.
The MIND diet stands for Mediterranean Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, and was developed by the late Martha Clare Morris, ScD, a Rush University nutritional epidemiologist. It combines the traditional Mediterranean diet with the blood pressure-lowering DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension).
It includes proven ‘brain-healthy’ foods such as leafy green vegetables, berries, nuts, fish, and olive oil.
The study found that the MIND diet had a stronger and more consistent risk reduction relationship with dementia than other ‘healthy’ diets for the majority of racial groups in the study.
Participants who improved their adherence to the diet the most over time showed the greatest pattern of risk reduction.
Overall, participants who scored higher for MIND adherence at the start of the study had a 9% lower risk of dementia, with an even greater reduction, of around 13%, among those who identified as African American, Latino or White.
The beneficial relationship was seen similarly among younger and older groups, which suggests that there are benefits to adopting the diet at any age.
“Our study findings confirm that healthy dietary patterns in mid to late life, and their improvement over time. may prevent Alzheimer’s and related dementias,” said Dr. Song-Yi Park, Associate Professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
“This suggests that it is never too late to adopt a healthy diet to prevent dementia.”
Dr. Park and her colleagues analyzed data from more than 90,000 American adults who provided information about their diet, starting in the 1990s.
The participants were between 45- and 75-years-old at the outset, and more than 21,000 developed Alzheimer’s or related dementias in the years that followed.
The results also showed that people who improved their adherence to MIND over 10 years—including those who didn’t follow the diet closely at first—had a 25% lower risk of dementia compared to those whose adherence declined.
Dr. Park said that trend was consistent across different ages and racial groups.
However, the protective relationship between a healthy diet and dementia was not as apparent among Asian Americans and even less so for Native Hawaiians.
“A tailored approach may be needed when evaluating different subpopulations’ diet quality,” said Park, who added that further studies could help clarify those patterns.
Dr. Park presented the findings at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition in Orlando, Florida, on June 2.
“I’ll keep eating what I want. Not much else in life to enjoy. And who cares about dementia. I don’t want to know most people anyway.”
I love your attitude, LOL!
You can win if you only eat Alaskan wild-caught salmon,
Available here at Walmart and Safeway. Safeway, surprisingly is less expensive. Smaller pieces, better for me because I’m a small person. Saute it in olive oil and have it for dinner every third night. Lemon squeezed on it of course. Seriously yum.
I never eat fish/seafood at all.
I have been on the atkins/carnivore diet for many years.
I can’t eat things with carbs like the beans (bread, pasta, rice).
I eat cheese, meat, bacon, onions, garlic, mushrooms, eggs, peanut butter, green peppers etc.
As I got older I do eat broccoli & artichoke hearts, always loved broccoli raab. The stuff on that plate is not appealing especially the specks on everything.
Hope that clears things up : )
We pretty much have a big tossed salad for supper with a hunk of grilled MEAT.
Can be chicken, beef, elk, venison, pork or fish...whatever we grab from the freezer that morning.
Life Is Good! :)
I liked the idea of this diet, though. I watched my sweet as honey, ‘Little Old Grandma’ turn into a Sailor-swearing, pinching, biting, hitting monster with her dementia. Once we got her into care she was pretty much medicated 24/7. She always thought I was one of the staff, but I got to hear a lot of nice things about ‘her granddaughter’ who always came to visit and brought her flowers that she, herself, had taught her to grow. Still makes me tear up! Nice to know you ARE loved even if Grandma doesn’t know WHO you are! *HEART*
Dad was pretty out of it at times; I got to see a LOT of the horrors he went through at the hands of his abusive father when he was young. Grandpa was properly medicated by the time I came along. THAT was an eye-opener, for sure, and made me understand my Dad a lot better and why he was always so loving and kind to me, growing up. He broke the cycle of abuse! Now THAT is a MAN, Ladies and Gentlemen! *HEART*
I’m on deck; my turn, next! I can’t hardly wait to lose my own marbles! (Not!) Ugh!
Many thanks.
Dementia is a pretty good companion for a person with pancreatic cancer.
Also:
First rule is never, ever participate in a cancer specialist’s “clinical trial.”
Second rule: never consent to surgery unless the intended outcome is a complete cure.
Third rule: Don’t let anyone sign for financial responsibility for your medical care. If a community general hospital can refuse your treatment in lieu of financial guarantees, you don’t meed the procedures.
Right. Big and old fish have eaten a lot of mercury in the small fish and the biggest fish rank higher.
Watching grandparents and parents going senile is so sad. I don't want to go out that way. My FIL did in home hospice. What a nightmare that was. I think euthanasia is morally wrong. All I can do now is live recklessly. I may try skydiving. White rapids kayaking without life vests. Go climb mountains in bear country - no bear spray just a little bell to alert them.
It’s hogwash. ANY diet other than the standard American diet will improve things. Even a crappy near vegan diet.
Maybe if we add some Genoa Salami (or Sopressata) and some Provolone it might work out.
Diana; Looks great, but it would be better enjoyed on the veranda of some fancy hotel overlooking the bay of Naples!
Combine the diet with Intermittent Fasting.
(Wild) Salmon and cod are low in mercury. I wouldn’t eat them every night, but I be overly worried about mercury in them.
...eat, sleep, able go to the bathroom = wealthy.
What do I care what I look like pushing 70...best years are looooong gone(and they weren't all that great)
My mom loved her cookie-cake...yes, dementia patient...but she's 96.
I drink my coffee black. I’m good.
Whenever I think of or find some humorous saying, I will post it.
God bless her. Hope you live as long as her and are able to enjoy all the eating and drinking you like.
All good advice. Thanks for sharing.
Sorry!! Mom maybe?
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