The MIND diet explained: Can what you eat protect your brain?

By the time most people start thinking seriously about brain health, they’re usually well into middle age. But what you decide to stock in your kitchen in your 30s may be a powerful tool against cognitive decline, according to Dr. Aaron Ritter, Larkin Family Endowed Chair in Integrative Brain Health and director of the Memory & Cognitive Disorders Program at Hoag’s Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute.

“How you treat your body, what you eat, affects your overall health,” Dr. Ritter says. “The evidence connecting diet to brain health is compelling, and it keeps getting stronger.”

What is the MIND diet?

Developed by researchers at Rush University Medical Center, the MIND diet, which is short for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, draws from two proven eating patterns: the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). Both have been shown to support heart health and reduce inflammation.

In a nine-year study, participants who closely followed the MIND diet reduced their Alzheimer’s risk by as much as 53 percent. Those who followed it even moderately reduced their risk by about 35 percent. An updated 2025 study published in Current Developments in Nutrition found that adults ages 45 to 75 who adhered closely to the MIND diet were significantly less likely to develop dementia.

What to eat and what to limit

The MIND plan identifies 10 brain-healthy food groups to prioritize and five to minimize. The focus is on plant-based whole foods rich in vitamins, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds.

Focus on:

• Leafy green vegetables (at least 6 servings per week)

• Berries (at least 2 servings per week)

• Whole grains (3 servings per day)

• Beans (4 meals per week)

• Fish (at least 1 serving per week)

• Nuts (5 servings per week)

• Extra virgin olive oil as your primary cooking fat (about 2 tablespoons daily)

Limit or avoid:

Red meat, butter and margarine, cheese, pastries and sweets, and fast or fried foods.

How it works

The foods emphasized in the MIND diet are rich in compounds that protect the brain from oxidative stress and inflammation—two key drivers of neurodegeneration. Research published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry found that adherence to the MIND diet was associated with 8 to 20 percent less age-related brain shrinkage over 12 years. A separate autopsy-based study found that people who regularly ate leafy greens had brains that looked nearly 19 years younger—in terms of Alzheimer’s-related plaque buildup—than those who rarely ate them.

“This research supports what we’ve seen in cognitive studies involving living Alzheimer’s patients,” Dr. Ritter says. “As we learn more about how inflammation stresses the body and the brain, the more important it becomes to address the role of diet.”

Diet is part of a bigger picture

While the MIND diet is a strong foundation, Dr. Ritter emphasizes that nutrition works best alongside other brain-healthy habits:

Regular aerobic exercise increases blood flow to the brain.

Quality sleep allows the brain to clear metabolic waste linked to Alzheimer’s.

Managing chronic stress reduces cortisol levels that, over time, can damage memory-related brain structures.

Whether you’re in your 60s and thinking about your cognitive health, or in your 30s and just contemplating what to eat for dinner tonight, now is the time to start protecting your brain. Talk to your doctor about a brain health strategy. It just might start in your kitchen.

Learn more about the Memory & Cognitive Disorders Program at Hoag.