Alzheimer's disease is a neurological disease in which brain cells slowly deteriorate to affect memory, thought, and expressive behavior, which is the main cause of dementia, especially in the elderly population. Some reports also say that the U.S. population is currently 6.9 million people aged 65 years and older. are facing Alzheimer's disease, and it could increase to 13.8 million by 2060.

Although at present, The process of developing therapeutic drugs will be more advanced, but lifestyle factors such as "diet" can still play an important role in reducing the risk of developing this disease.

Get to know the "MIND Diet"

The MIND Diet (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay Diet) is a combination of dietary patterns. Between the Mediterranean Diet and the DASH Diet, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet, which was invented and developed by a team of researchers from Rush University Medical Center to benefit brain health. It can slow down the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

The principles of the MIND Diet focus on 15 foods that can be classified into 2 groups: foods that should be consumed. 10 items and food groups to avoid. There are 5 items as follows:

A 2015 study found that people who followed the MIND Diet were associated with a 53% reduction in the risk of Alzheimer's disease. In addition, studies that analyzed related studies concluded that the MIND Diet contributes to reducing the risk of dementia in middle-aged and elderly groups by 17%.

Alzheimer's disease is a major public health problem, and eating foods rich in important nutrients such as the MIND Diet and limiting food groups that may be harmful to long-term health may be one of the best ways to improve brain health and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

World Alzheimer's Day We would like to be another important voice in supporting everyone to have good health and a good quality of life, starting with the basic factors such as 'food'. The story closest to all of us.

Reference List

1. Breijyeh Z, Karaman R. Comprehensive Review on Alzheimer's Disease: Causes and Treatment. Molecules. 2020;25(24):5789.
2. Prince MJ, Wimo A, Guerchet M, Ali G-C, Wu Y-T, Prina M. World Alzheimer Report 2015: The Global Impact of Dementia: An Analysis of Prevalence, Incidence, Cost and Trends. Lincolnshire: Alzheimer’s Disease International; 2015. 82 p.
3. Gauler J, James B, Johnson T, Reimer J, Scales K, Tom S., et al. 2024 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures. Chicago: Alzheimer’s Association; 2024. 146 p.
4. Morris MC, Tangney CC, Wang Y, Sacks FM, Bennett DA, Aggarwal NT. MIND diet associated with reduced incidence of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement. 2015 Sep;11(9):1007-14.
5. Morris MC, Tangney CC, Wang Y, Sacks FM, Barnes LL, Bennett DA, Aggarwal NT. MIND diet slows cognitive decline with aging. Alzheimers Dement. 2015 Sep;11(9):1015-22.
6. Chen H, Dhana K, Huang Y, Huang L, Tao Y, Liu X, et al. Association of the Mediterranean Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) Diet With the Risk of Dementia. JAMA Psychiatry. 2023 May 3;80(6).