Dementia is one of the most feared health diagnoses, and with good reason. It can gradually erode memory, reasoning and independence. And it’s far from rare—more than six million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, and that number is expected to rise as the population ages. Many families have felt the ripple effects of a dementia diagnosis firsthand, whether through a parent, partner, or friend.
Despite its prevalence, dementia is far from inevitable. While age and genetics do play a role, growing evidence suggests that lifestyle factors—including what you eat—may significantly influence your risk. That’s where the MIND diet comes in.
Designed specifically to support brain health, the MIND diet combines elements of the Mediterranean and DASH diets and emphasizes foods shown to benefit cognitive function. A new study presented at NUTRITION 2025, a meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, found that this eating pattern was more strongly associated with lower dementia risk than other healthy diets. The best part? Even people who made changes to their diet later in life still saw a real drop in their risk of dementia.
Here’s what you need to know about the study and how it might apply to your daily meals.
The research comes from the Multiethnic Cohort Study, a long-running project that began in the 1990s and tracks the health of U.S. adults from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Participants in this analysis were between 45 and 75 years old when they joined the study and shared detailed information about their dietary habits.
Researchers used this data to score participants based on how closely they followed the MIND diet. Over the following decades, more than 21,000 of the nearly 93,000 participants developed Alzheimer’s disease or dementias. By comparing diet scores with dementia diagnoses, the researchers were able to assess the diet’s impact on long-term brain health.
Participants who adhered most closely to the MIND diet at the start of the study had a 9% lower risk of developing dementia. When the researchers looked more closely, they found that the risk reduction was even greater—about 13%—among African American, Latino and white participants.
Interestingly, the benefits of the MIND diet weren’t limited to those who followed it from the beginning. People who improved their diet over a 10-year period had an even larger reduction in risk—about 25%—compared to those whose eating habits slipped over time. These improvements helped regardless of age, showing that making healthier food choices later in life can still go a long way in protecting your brain.
There were also notable differences in outcomes among different racial and ethnic groups. The MIND diet didn’t show a significant protective effect among Asian American participants and showed only a weak trend among Native Hawaiians. The researchers think this might come down to cultural differences in diet. Some groups may already have a lower risk of dementia, possibly because their traditional eating habits aren’t fully reflected in the MIND diet scoring system.
As with all observational research, this study can’t prove that the MIND diet causes a reduction in dementia risk. Other lifestyle or genetic factors could also play a role. And while the study’s large, diverse sample is a strength, the findings are considered preliminary until they’re published in a peer-reviewed journal.
The very topic of dementia can feel overwhelming, and the idea of preventing it might seem out of your hands. But this research offers an empowering takeaway: the food you eat could play a real role in protecting your brain—no matter your age. And you don’t need to overhaul your entire diet overnight to see benefits.
The MIND diet isn’t about perfection. It’s about gradually adding in more of the foods that support brain health—like leafy greens, berries, nuts, whole grains and olive oil—while cutting back on those that may do harm, such as red meat, fried foods and sweets. Even small, sustainable changes can help. For example, adding a side salad to dinner a few nights a week or swapping in olive oil for butter when cooking are simple tweaks that can move you in the right direction.
If you’re in your 50s, 60s or beyond and wondering whether it’s worth changing how you eat—this study suggests the answer is yes. People who improved their eating habits over time still saw a reduced risk of dementia, even if they weren’t strict followers from the start. That’s a hopeful message, especially for anyone who feels like it’s too late.
It’s also worth reflecting on what your current diet looks like. Are there brain-supporting foods you enjoy but don’t eat often? Are there habits—like skipping vegetables or relying heavily on processed snacks—that you’ve been wanting to change? Starting with one or two shifts can make adopting a more MIND-friendly eating pattern feel manageable and motivating.
New research presented at the NUTRITION 2025 conference found that the MIND diet may help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementias, particularly among African American, Latino and white adults. Even better, people who began following the diet later in life still saw meaningful improvements in their brain health. While more research is needed to confirm these findings, the MIND diet remains a promising, accessible strategy for protecting cognitive health across your lifespan.
