Diet for the MIND

November 6, 2017
Morris, a Harvard-trained epidemiologist, presents a detailed and lay-reader-friendly explanation of her 2015 report on the links between diet and cognitive health. Morris recounts how she and colleagues at the MIND Center for Brain Health at Rush University in Chicago adopted certain features of the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet and low-sodium antihypertension DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) diet and augmented them with new research to develop the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH intervention for neurodegenerative delay) diet. She explains that there seems to be less risk of Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline in general when consuming foods—not supplements—high in vitamins E, B12, folate, and niacin; lutein, beta-carotene, and the flavonoids found in vegetables; omega-3 fatty acids; and vegetable-sourced fats. Part one of the book clearly and cogently explains “mind-healthy science,” with recommendations for everyday eating, (vegetables, whole grains, and vegetable oil) and weekly eating (berries, nuts, seafood, poultry, and legumes) and information on “brainless foods that harm the mind” (such as red meat, dairy products, and processed or high-heat cooked food). Part two of the book covers lifestyle advice and 80 MIND-diet recipes developed by the author’s chef daughter, Laura Morris. This guide puts forward an uncomplicated, sensible-sounding plan for health in body and mind.