The foods we eat may play an important role in keeping our brains healthy as we age.
A new study suggests that one eating plan, known as the MIND diet, may be especially helpful for people who already have early biological signs linked to Alzheimer’s disease, even before memory problems appear.
The study was led by researchers analyzing data from the MIND trial and was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. It focused on two blood biomarkers linked to Alzheimer’s disease: beta-amyloid and phosphorylated tau. These proteins are considered important warning signs because they begin changing years before dementia develops.
Beta-amyloid can build up into sticky plaques between brain cells, making it harder for the cells to communicate. Phosphorylated tau forms tangles inside nerve cells that interfere with their normal function. Together, these changes are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.
The researchers wanted to know whether people with higher levels of these biomarkers responded differently to the MIND diet. They analyzed information collected during the original MIND clinical trial, which followed older adults for three years.
The original trial enrolled 604 adults with an average age of 70. All participants were overweight, had relatively unhealthy diets, and had a family history of Alzheimer’s disease. They were randomly assigned to either follow the MIND diet or a control diet, with both groups receiving nutrition counseling and modest calorie reduction.
The earlier trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2023, found that thinking abilities improved slightly in both groups. Although the MIND diet did not produce a statistically significant advantage overall, both groups lost about five kilograms during the study, which may also have supported brain health.
The new analysis found an important difference. People who started the study with higher levels of beta-amyloid and phosphorylated tau appeared to gain more protection from the MIND diet than from the control diet.
Among participants following the control diet, higher biomarker levels were linked with greater cognitive decline, but this pattern was not seen in those following the MIND diet.
The MIND diet combines features of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet. It encourages foods such as leafy green vegetables, berries, nuts, fish, poultry, beans, whole grains, and olive oil while limiting red meat, butter, cheese, sweets, and fried foods.
The researchers stressed that this analysis cannot prove that the diet directly prevented cognitive decline because it was performed after the original trial had ended. However, the findings suggest that blood biomarkers may help identify people who could benefit most from specific dietary changes.
Overall, the study provides encouraging evidence that personalized nutrition may become part of future dementia prevention strategies. More clinical trials will be needed to confirm the results, but the research highlights the growing value of combining healthy eating with modern blood tests to better protect brain health.
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Source: Rush University.
