Scientists from Rush University Medical Center in the USA have developed a diet consisting of 14 foods that have a positive effect on cognitive abilities. The MIND diet is a hybrid diet based on the principles of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet (a diet specifically designed for people with hypertension). In this respect reports SciTechDaily.
The MIND diet consists of 14 ingredients, nine of which have been shown to be beneficial for the brain, according to research. These include chicken and fish, green leafy vegetables, berries, nuts, berries, grains, olive oil and wine. There is another group – foods that have a positive effect only in small doses: wine (no more than a glass a day), fried foods, margarine, baked goods and desserts, cheese and red meat.
To examine how such a diet would affect cognitive abilities, scientists conducted a three-year experiment involving 604 overweight volunteers with poor eating habits. In addition, the subjects were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or had a genetic predisposition to develop this disease. First, the participants were divided into two groups. The first group followed the nutritional recommendations of the MIND diet and reduced their calorie intake. The second group limited their calorie intake and began eating healthier foods without making a strong commitment to the 14 components of the MIND diet. Participants in both groups received nutritional counseling in person and over the phone.
By the end of the study, all participants were able to improve their cardiometabolic health and lose weight. However, subjects who followed the MIND diet performed better on cognitive tests.
The authors stated that they plan to conduct further research. According to scientists, observing volunteers following the MIND diet for a longer period of time will allow more accurate results to be obtained.
existed before named The best diet to prevent heart attack.