The MIND Diet Can Reduce Dementia Risk
@DeborahDiane (40054)
Laguna Woods, California
February 9, 2018 6:41pm CST
When many people discover they have a 40% chance of developing dementia if they live to be 90 years old, they find the news frightening and often declare they do not want to live to be that old. That is a natural reaction, but they may change their mind when they learn there are actions they can take to lower their risk.
The brain health class I have been taking has presented the results of some fascinating research. The purpose of the class is to teach us exactly what individuals can do to dramatically reduce their dementia risk.
The first action we can take is to follow the MIND Diet.
The MIND diet is a mixture of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet, and following it has been shown to cut your dementia risk in half. Even people who did not follow the diet perfectly were able to cut their dementia risk by one-third.
Another aspect of following the MIND diet is that it also reduces heart disease. In fact, researchers have discovered that any behavior which is good for the heart is good for the brain.
Here is a list of the foods you should eat on the MIND diet:
Vegetables in a variety of colors
Nuts
Berries
Beans
Whole grains
Fish
Poultry
Olive oil
Wine
Foods to Eliminate or Reduce
Red meat
Animal fats
Sugary foods
Fried foods
Fast Food
Rules to follow:
Eat nuts and veggies every day
Eat poultry at least twice a week
Eat berries at least twice a week
Eat LESS than one tablespoon of butter a day
(This is part of a series of posts I am sharing which are based on a class I am taking from a local college. All of the posts use the same brain photo at the top, to make it easier to read them all.)
15 people like this
14 responses
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Feb 18
Interesting information. I do wonder if the poultry we get nowadays is actually as good as we'd like to believe. They do feed chooks a number of additives to ensure fast, disease-free growth. Disease-free doesn't necessarily mean 'healthy' if a heap of antibiotics are part of the diet (of chickens).
4 people like this
@sallypup (57860)
• Centralia, Washington
11 Feb 18
@DeborahDiane I don't buy store eggs but I do buy feed for hens. I can't afford to buy organic feed- it costs at least twice as much as I spend now for that. I just hope there isn't too weird of stuff in their feed.
3 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
11 Feb 18
@sallypup - I think all of us just do what we can with the resources available to us. The way we eat is not the only way to cut our dementia risk. I'll be sharing more things in the coming weeks.
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
11 Feb 18
@JudyEv - You are absolutely right about the problem with antibiotics and hormones fed to our chickens. We can buy them in the US that have been grown without the additives, but I don't often go to the trouble. Perhaps I should!
3 people like this
@moffittjc (118442)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Feb 18
Fortunately and unfortunately, I do everything on your list above. Both the good and the bad. Looks like I really should stop eating all that red meat and fast food! Thankfully, I love snacking on nuts, and I already use olive oil for everything when I cook!
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118442)
• Gainesville, Florida
11 Feb 18
@DeborahDiane I actually don't eat red meat that often. I mostly eat chicken or pork if I'm eating meat.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
11 Feb 18
@moffittjc - It sounds like you have the basis of a good start. Cut back a little on the red meat and you will be in great shape! I only eat red meat about once a month, but I do like butter on my bread. I could cut back on that more, myself.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
11 Feb 18
@moffittjc - They recommend we eat chicken, fish, seafood, or turkey, with other types of meat served only occasionally as special treats. That is what I try to do, although I do enjoy a good steak once in a while.
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
11 Feb 18
@sallypup - I'm sure you are right. Kraft and General Mills are among the companies which produce food that do more harm than good.
2 people like this
@sallypup (57860)
• Centralia, Washington
11 Feb 18
@DeborahDiane I haven't bought much of those products for over 2 years. I get less opportunities on surveys cause I don't buy that crud but oh well.
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
11 Feb 18
@sallypup - Crud is a good way to describe a lot of the food in our grocery stores.
2 people like this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
10 Feb 18
Red meat wouldn't be bad if the ranchers would quit adding hormones, steroids and antibiotics to the feed @DeborahDiane . Same thing with chicken or pork. Since they started doing that and spraying chemicals on all the veggies and fruits, Dementia and Alzheimers have increased.
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
11 Feb 18
@nanette64 - Yes, everything you have said is true. Our food is not as healthy as it could be. One of the things which I find encouraging, however, is that one of the Blue Zones is actually Loma Linda, a suburb of Los Angeles, California! A Blue Zone is one of the seven places in the world where people routinely have active, healthy lives well into their 90s and even over age 100, with low rates of disability, disease and dementia. If it can happen 40 miles from me in Loma Linda, I feel I can make it happen for me, too.
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
12 Feb 18
@just4him - They have actually known this for quite some time. You may want to read the Blue Zone books. The Blue Zones are the 7 places in the world where people routinely live to be 90 to 110 and have a very low rate of dementia. One of the Blue Zones is in Loma Linda, California, a suburb of Los Angeles, which shows it is possible to live a healthy lifestyle, even in one of the smoggiest parts of the US. There are certain things the Blue Zones have in common, including diet, exercise, and strong social connections. When people in other communities have adopted the Blue Zone lifestyles, they have also seen their dementia risk drop significantly below that of other people in the US. Researchers have tried all kinds of experiments and studies and they know it works. Making these lifestyle changes can cut your dementia risk, even when you have a hereditary predisposition to dementia! Watching my own mother continue to smoke and eat sweets and hamburgers, even as she developed worse and worse dementia, was painful. I do not want to put my own children through the same thing, which is why I am taking this class. If I develop dementia, it will not be because I didn't try everything possible to avoid it.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
12 Feb 18
@just4him - Me, too. That is why I decided to sign up for this class which is being offered free at a local college. They bring in different experts every week to talk to us ... researchers from the University of California in Irvine, physicians, nutritionists, psychologists, neurologists. The class continues until late May, so I hope to have lots of good information to share. I'll post an article about it at least once a week, possibly more, depending on how much information I have to share. I have already learned so much, and it gives me hope that I will not end up like my mother.
1 person likes this
@just4him (306196)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
12 Feb 18
@DeborahDiane That's very interesting. I hope it does eliminate your risk for it.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
11 Feb 18
@cintol - Yes, following this diet could possibly slow down the progression of her dementia. I would certainly try it.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
12 Feb 18
@cintol - Good! We should all be eating like this when we can, although most of us slip up from time to time. (I had a big piece of key lime pie this afternoon; I'm not perfect, either!)
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (169963)
• United States
10 Feb 18
Very interesting! Thanks for sharing.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
10 Feb 18
@snowy22315 - You are welcome. I plan to continue to share what I learn in this course over the next few months. I think a lot of people would like to know how to take care of their brains.
1 person likes this
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
10 Feb 18
Maybe this diet is not just a dementia preventive but also good for other conditions.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
11 Feb 18
@louievill - Yes, this diet has also been shown to be good for the heart, too. I'm sure it also helps other conditions. It is a good lifestyle for everyone!
1 person likes this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
10 Feb 18
I'm trying to eat this way. My downfall is sugar, specifically dark chocolate. I have cut way down on it, but I still crave it. I eat nuts and berries almost every day, as well as the other things on the recommended foods and I follow the rules. I just cheat sometimes by eating some of the no-no's.
1 person likes this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
11 Feb 18
@DeborahDiane The problem is keeping it to a little.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
11 Feb 18
@bagarad - I think all of us cheat on this diet some of the time, even when we try to do it well. The good news is that the researchers have found you don't have to be perfect in order to cut your dementia risk, so you are probably doing quite a bit towards protecting your health. Enjoy a little dark chocolate!
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
11 Feb 18
@bagarad - Ha ha! I agree!
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@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
10 Feb 18
I could live with this except the butter, that is a hard one for me.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
11 Feb 18
@BelleStarr - Me, too! I do use a little butter on my bread or toast, but I have tried to cut down. They say to consume less than one tablespoon of butter a day, and I think I am usually able to keep it down to those levels.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
11 Feb 18
@jaboUK - I think most people in the modern, developed world could stand to make a few changes!
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (94512)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
10 Feb 18
Thank you for sharing these tips. I want to be the dementia bug myself.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
11 Feb 18
@Deepizzaguy - I will continue sharing everything I learn in the coming months. I am so glad I am taking this brain health class. I thought I knew a lot about taking care of myself, but I seem to be learning something new every week.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
11 Feb 18
@Courage7 - You are welcome. I am happy to share what I am learning.
1 person likes this
@Jennyloves (124)
• Buffalo, New York
21 Feb 18
I think this diet would be great for anyone even if they are not going through dementia. I struggle with weight n fruits n nuts are so good for you. I have to look up mediteranian diet
I feel bad for people with dementia my grandpa went through it. Liked your article
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40054)
• Laguna Woods, California
22 Feb 18
@Jennyloves - I'm glad you liked this article. I am writing a series of them to help people avoid dementia as long as possible. It is a horrible disease.
