Diet type linked with better focus in school-aged children

A diet originally designed to help ward off cognitive decline in adults might also help improve attention in pre-adolescents, according to a new study. The new study examined two diets: the Healthy Eating Index – 2015 (HEI-2015), which is based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet, which combines the Mediterranean diet with the heart-healthy Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet to create a dietary pattern that focuses on brain health.

Much like the DASH and Mediterranean diets on which it is based, the MIND diet emphasizes fresh fruit, vegetables, and legumes like beans, lentils, and peas. However, it also includes recommendations for specific foods, such as leafy greens and berries, which promote brain health.

The study’s 85 participants ranged in age from 7 to 11 years old and completed a seven-day diet record from which the researchers calculated HEI-2015 and MIND diet scores. To assess attentional inhibition, participants also completed a task that requires spatial attention and executive control with their reaction time and accuracy recorded.

The researchers found that MIND diet scores but not HEI-2015 scores were positively related to study participants’ accuracy on the task, meaning that study participants who better adhered to the MIND diet performed better on the task.

Reference: Shelby Keye et al,AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR NUTRITION