MIND diet slows brain aging
A new study reported by Time News finds a predominantly plant-based MIND diet is associated with slower rates of brain aging and may help delay cognitive decline—tightening the link between diet and long-term brain health. The piece frames the MIND pattern as more than weight control; it’s a potential tool for preserving cognition as people age. (time.news)
The paper, titled “Adherence to the MIND diet and longitudinal brain structural changes over a decade,” was published online in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry and lists Hui Chen and Changzheng Yuan among the authors (received 17 June 2025; accepted 4 Oct 2025). (jnnp.bmj.com) (jnnp.bmj.com) Researchers analyzed 1,647 middle‑aged and older participants from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort, using food‑frequency questionnaires collected at Exams 5–7 and brain MRIs acquired between 1999 and 2019. (medicalxpress.com) (medicalxpress.com; jnnp.bmj.com) The study quantified effects: each three‑point increase in the MIND score corresponded to a 0.279 cm3/year slower decline in total gray‑matter volume (95% CI 0.089–0.469), a 20.1% attenuation of age‑related change equivalent to about 2.5 years over the 12.3‑year median follow‑up. (jnnp.bmj.com) (jnnp.bmj.com) Higher MIND scores were also tied to a −0.071 cm3/year slower increase in lateral ventricular volume (notably −0.041 cm3/year in the left ventricle), an effect the authors equated to roughly one year of delayed brain ageing during follow‑up. (jnnp.bmj.com) (jnnp.bmj.com) Component analysis pointed to specific foods: berries were associated with slower ventricular enlargement and poultry with reduced gray‑matter loss, while some commonly recommended whole grains and cheese showed unexpected links to faster decline in secondary analyses. (medicalxpress.com) (medicalxpress.com; msn.com) The authors and clinicians noted key caveats—participants in the highest adherence group were more often women, college‑educated and healthier at baseline, the sample excluded people with stroke or dementia at first MRI, and the observational design cannot prove causation—so the paper calls for further research to test causality. (medicalxpress.com) (medicalxpress.com; healio.com)
