, published in 2015 by researchers at Rush University in Chicago and still ongoing, found that older adults who adhered most closely to the diet had a 53 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Even those who followed the MIND diet moderately well saw a 35 percent reduced risk.“Simply focusing on one food won’t magically improve cognitive functioning,” says Puja Agarwal, an assistant professor at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center.
“Some studies show consuming omega-3 fatty acids [in food] may help lower levels of beta-amyloid, a protein that forms damaging clumps in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease,” says Lauren J. Gleason, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago Medicine., found that people who had the highest intake of flavonoids were 19 percent less likely to self-report a decline in cognitive function than those who ate fewer flavonoid-rich foods.
that found people who ate seven or more servings of leafy greens a week had amyloid plaque levels similar to people who were 19 years younger.Legumes are rich in fiber. Per cup, lentils have 16 grams, chickpeas about 13 grams and kidney beans 11 grams. A 2022found that as fiber intake increased, so did scores on a brain function test that measured information processing, attention and memory.
. These are foods that have ingredients such as high-fructose corn syrup, emulsifiers, colors, flavors and preservatives, or are high in added sugars or sodium. Soda, packaged bread and baked goods, sugary cereals, and deli meats are examples.Getting just 20 percent of calories from highly processed foods was linked to a 28 percent faster rate of cognitive decline compared with eating less.