MIND Diet Linked to Larger Brain Volumes and Reduced White Matter Hyperintensities

Adhering to the MIND diet, a fusion of the Mediterranean and DASH diets, is associated with larger volumes in specific brain regions and a decrease in white matter hyperintensities, according to data from the U.K. Biobank. A recent study was published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia journal by Chen H. and colleagues. The study reveals that a higher MIND diet adherence is linked to larger volumes in the thalamus, putamen, pallidum, hippocampus, and accumbens. The diet's positive effects on brain health were consistent across various genetic predispositions to Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers evaluated 26,466 U.K. Biobank participants who underwent brain MRI between 2014 and 2020. The participants, with a mean age of 55, provided 24-hour diet recalls from 2009 to 2012, and their MIND diet scores were calculated based on the intake of healthy and unhealthy food groups. The study incorporated covariates like age, sex, ethnicity, education, and lifestyle factors.

The findings demonstrated that individuals adhering more closely to the MIND diet exhibited larger volumes in specific brain regions, including the thalamus, putamen, pallidum, hippocampus, and accumbens. Remarkably, these positive associations persisted regardless of participants' genetic predispositions to Alzheimer's disease.

In addition to volumetric changes, the MIND diet showcased a protective effect against white matter hyperintensities, a marker associated with various neurological conditions. Participants with greater adherence to the MIND diet displayed lower levels of white matter hyperintensities, suggesting a potential role in mitigating age-related brain changes.

When assessing longitudinal changes in brain structure over a median of 2.2 years among participants with repeated imaging assessments (N = 2,963), the study found no significant associations between MIND diet scores and these changes. However, the MIND diet exhibited a noteworthy impact on slowing the atrophy in specific brain regions, namely the putamen and pallidum, among individuals without the APOE ε4 gene, a known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.

The study underscores the positive impact of the MIND diet on brain health, emphasising larger volumes in crucial brain regions and reduced white matter hyperintensities. The diet's focus on specific food groups, including whole grains and olive oil, contributes to these favourable associations.

These findings could lead to further research exploring the cognitive benefits of the MIND diet and its potential role in preventing neurodegenerative diseases. Public health initiatives promoting MIND diet principles may offer a multifaceted approach to enhancing both cardiovascular and brain health.

Reference:

Chen, H., Dunk, M. M., Wang, B., Zhao, M., Shen, J., Zong, G., Pan, Y., Tong, L., Xu, W., & Yuan, C. Associations of the Mediterranean‐DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay diet with brain structural markers and their changes. Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association,2023. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.13521