The diet for life that reduces your risk of dementia

Here are the 10 foods the MIND diet encourages (11Trusted Source):

• Green, leafy vegetables: Aim for six or more servings per week. This includes kale, spinach, cooked greens, and salads.
• All other vegetables: Try to eat another vegetable in addition to the green leafy vegetables at least once per day. It’s best to choose non-starchy vegetables because they provide a lot of nutrients for a low number of calories.
• Berries: Eat berries at least twice per week. Berries such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries all have antioxidant benefits (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).
• Nuts: Try to get five or more servings of nuts each week. The creators of the MIND diet don’t specify what kind of nuts to consume, but it is probably best to vary the type of nuts you eat to obtain a variety of nutrients.
• Olive oil: Use olive oil as your main cooking oil. Check out this article for information about the safety of cooking with olive oil.
• Whole grains: Aim for at least three servings daily (.5 cup cooked grains, 1 slice of bread). Choose whole grains like oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and 100% whole wheat bread.
• Fish: Eat fish at least once per week. It is best to choose fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, trout, tuna, and mackerel for their high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.
• Beans: Include beans in at least four meals per week. This category includes all beans, lentils, and soybeans.
• Poultry: Try to eat chicken or turkey at least twice per week. Note that fried chicken is not encouraged on the MIND diet.
• Wine: Aim for no more than one glass daily. Both red and white wine may benefit your brain. While there has been much interest in the compound resveratrol, which is found in red wine, recent research has questioned whether it has clear benefits in humans (12Trusted Source).

If you’re unable to consume the target number of servings, don’t quit the MIND diet altogether. Research has shown that following the MIND diet even to a moderate degree is associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive impairment (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source).

When you’re following the diet, you can eat more than just these 10 foods. However, the more you stick to the diet, the better your results may be.

According to research, eating more of the 10 recommended foods and less of the foods that the diet recommends avoiding has been associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and better brain function over time (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source).

SummaryThe MIND diet encourages the consumption of all kinds of vegetables, berries, nuts, olive oil, whole grains, fish, beans, poultry, and a moderate amount of wine.

SOURCE: The MIND Diet: A Detailed Guide for Beginners