Die Kombination zweier Diäten verlangsamte die Gehirnalterung um mehr als 2 Jahre. Die MIND-Diät (Mittelmeer und DASH) legt den Schwerpunkt auf den Verzehr von Lebensmitteln, die das Risiko einer Demenz verringern: Beeren, Bohnen, grünes Blattgemüse, Fisch, Geflügel, Vollkornprodukte, Olivenöl und Nüsse. Die Studie zeigte einen langsameren Verlust der grauen Substanz.

A unique combo of two top diets slowed brain aging by over 2 years

Eating a combination of two award-winning diets slowed aging in key structures inside the brain by over two years, according to a new study.

The brain-focused eating plan is called the Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, or MIND, diet. It combines the most brain-healthy parts of the award-winning Mediterranean diet and the acclaimed heart-healthy Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, which restricts salt.

While all three diets are plant-based and quite similar, the MIND method emphasizes eating specific foods thought to reduce the risk of dementia: berries, beans, leafy green vegetables, fish, poultry, whole grains, olive oil and nuts. Foods with saturated fats, such as cheese, butter, red meat and fried foods, are extremely limited.

“People who adhered more closely to the MIND diet seemed to show slower structural brain ageing over about 12 years of follow-up,” said senior author Changzheng Yuan, a research professor at Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, China, in an email.

“In particular, they had slower loss of grey matter, which is the part of the brain that contains many of the nerve cells involved in memory, thinking, and decision-making,” Yuan said.

Each three-point increase in adherence to the MIND diet was associated with 20% less shrinkage in gray matter, corresponding to a 2.5-year delay in brain aging, according to the study.

For those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:

https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/early/2026/03/11/jnnp-2025-336957

But what _is_ life without saturated fats?