A diet rich in berries, nuts and leafy greens could help boost memory – but only in women, research suggests.
Following the Mind diet – which stands for Mediterranean-Dash Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay – was linked to lower cognitive impairment, a precursor for dementia.
But the same results were not seen for both sexes, suggesting it could only work in females, who are far more likely to get dementia than men.
Researchers analyzed data for 14,145 people with an average age of 64, who were followed for a decade on average.
A meal plan that follows the MIND diet. A breakfast of porridge, lentil salad for lunch and a fish pie for dinner
They completed food surveys for a year, with scientists analyzing how closely the foods people were eating matched the Mind diet.
One point was given for adhering to the diet, such as three or more daily servings of whole grains; six or more weekly servings of green leafy vegetables.
They also got a point for four or fewer weekly servings of red meat; one or fewer weekly servings of fast or fried foods and five or fewer weekly servings of pastries and sweets.
The total points possible was 12, according to the findings published in the journal Neurology.
People were then divided into three groups, with the low group having an average diet score of five, the middle group having an average score of seven and the high group having an average score of nine.
Thinking and memory skills were measured at the beginning and end of the study.
Cognitive impairment – when a person has trouble remembering, learning new things, concentrating, or making decisions that affect everyday life – developed in 532 people (or 12 per cent) in the low diet group during the course of the study.
It also occurred in 617 people (or 11 per cent) of people in the middle group, and in 402 people (or 10 per cent) of people in the high group.
Researchers found a 6 per cent decreased risk of cognitive impairment for female participants who most closely followed the diet but no decreased risk for men who did the same.
People who most closely followed the Mind diet also declined less rapidly than those who did not, with this link stronger among black people than white.
Experts said further research was needed to try and understand these differences and acknowledged limitations, such as self-reporting of diet potentially leading to inaccuracies.
Study author Dr Russell Sawyer, from the University of Cincinnati in Ohio said: ‘With the number of people with dementia increasing with the aging population, it’s critical to find changes that we can make to delay or slow down the development of cognitive problems.
‘These findings warrant further study, especially to examine these varying impacts among men and women and black and white people, but it’s exciting to consider that people could make some simple changes to their diet and potentially reduce or delay their risk of cognitive issues.’
Previous research has suggested that the Mind diet can protect the brain by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation owing to its high levels of vitamins, carotenoids and flavonoids.
Experts say it may also reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.
Dr Jacqui Hanley, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK said: ‘There is a wealth of evidence that eating a healthy, balanced diet can help protect our brain health.
‘Larger and longer-term studies will be needed to understand this effect more and this should be carried out in a more diverse group of people.’
