Updated on 21/01/2025
Researchers have been studying the link between healthy eating and a healthy brain for years. Hundreds of studies show a connection between a Mediterranean-style diet—one that limits red meat, saturated fats, and refined carbohydrates, while focusing on beans, nuts, and fish—and slower cognitive decline.
Photo: Altan Akay
Scientists say this type of diet may protect brain cells from damage by keeping blood vessels healthy, reducing inflammation, and neutralizing free radicals. “A healthy diet is generally beneficial for brain health,” says Ronald Petersen, MD, PhD, FAAN, a neurologist and the director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center in Rochester, MN. “What’s less certain is whether it influences the underlying biology of conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. However, we do discuss healthy eating as part of a healthy lifestyle with our patients.”
Karima Benameur, an associate professor of neurology at Emory University in Atlanta, agrees that diet is important. “In one study, following a Mediterranean diet was associated with a 33 percent reduction in stroke risk,” she says. “For people with multiple sclerosis, a healthy diet can mean the difference between mild disease and severe disability.” Laurel J. Cherian, MD, FAAN, an associate professor of neurology at Rush University, says healthy eating should be a priority. “I tell my patients that if they’re doing all the other interventions but not making healthy dietary changes, it’s like having one foot on the gas and the other on the brake.”
Despite the evidence and the recommendations of neurologists like Dr. Petersen, Benameur, and Cherian, fewer than 5 percent of Americans follow the Mediterranean diet, according to a 2023 national survey by the International Food Information Council, a research group funded by the food industry.
There are many reasons for this: People may be reluctant to change their current eating habits. They may not know how to incorporate brain-healthy foods into their diets. They may worry about cost or believe they don’t have the time or skills to cook with grains, fish, beans, and other legumes.
Key principles of the Mediterranean diet include three servings of fruits and vegetables a day; at least three servings a week of beans, nuts, or seeds; and a daily dose of olive oil. Red and processed meats, sweets, fried foods, butter, and margarine should be limited.
A variation known as the MIND diet (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) combines the Mediterranean diet with the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). The nutritional recommendations are similar, but MIND also emphasizes one serving of leafy green vegetables a day, five servings of berries a week, two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil a day, five servings of nuts a week, and one serving of fish a week.
Krista Linares, a registered dietitian in Los Angeles, says developing healthier eating habits doesn’t have to be hard. She and other registered dietitians offer these suggestions to help you get started.
Jennifer Ventrelle, RDN, a clinical nutrition professor at Rush University, recommends keeping a journal of what you eat now and looking for places to make changes. The journal will show you the brain-healthy foods you’re already eating.
Ventrelle—one of the authors of the book The Official MIND Diet: A Scientific-Based Plan to Lose Weight and Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease—says, “Instead of restricting, try replacing. For example, if you have pizza every Friday, add a leafy green salad to your meal and aim to eat less pizza.”
Increase your intake of nutrient-rich leafy greens such as spinach, kale, Swiss chard, collard greens, mustard greens, and even lettuce. “Add a cup of spinach to your omelet or a handful of kale to your smoothie,” says Marisa Moore, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Atlanta and author of The Plant Love Kitchen. Ventrelle adds, “Regularly eating leafy greens is one of the most powerful MIND diet steps you can take.”
Ventrelle notes that in addition to cooking with it, you can get the MIND diet’s recommended daily two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil by using it on bread, vegetables, or salad.
You can put avocado or salsa (or both) on almost anything. Consider slicing avocado onto your sandwich or dipping sliced vegetables into salsa. “This is a simple way to add extra vegetables and healthy fats like avocado to any meal,” Linares says.
The beans and legumes category includes chickpeas, black beans, red beans, white beans, lentils, and peas. Toss them into salads or soups, or mix them with vegetables. “If everyone ate half a cup a day, we’d see positive changes in blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol,” says Maya Feller, a registered dietitian nutritionist with a private practice in Brooklyn, NY, and author of Eating from Our Roots: 80+ Healthy Home-Cooked Favorites from Cultures Around the World.
Aim for three servings of grains a day, making sure they’re whole grains rather than refined. One slice of whole wheat bread or half a cup of brown rice, barley, or bulgur can count as one serving. For nutritional variety and great taste, Feller suggests trying ancient grains like quinoa, millet, or corn. Be mindful of refined grains found in white bread, pasta, cakes, cookies, and most packaged oatmeal.
Vegetable- and grain-based meals are the foundation of traditional Mediterranean cuisine. Try ratatouille made with tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and garlic. Or roast cauliflower with tahini, or make a stew of peas, sweet potatoes, tomato sauce, olive oil, and spices. Add beans or a small amount of cheese for protein. Feel free to enjoy generous portions: Elena Paravantes, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Athens, Greece, and author of The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Beginners, says people following a traditional Mediterranean diet often eat about a pound of vegetables a day.
Instead of red meat (beef) and processed meats like sausage, bacon, cold cuts, and hot dogs, get protein from fish, chicken, turkey, beans, and nuts. “Limiting red meat seems beneficial because it reduces your saturated fat intake,” Ventrelle says.
“Keep your energy up between meals with nuts and seeds,” Moore says. “They’re satisfying and provide healthy fats and fiber.” Your snack could be a handful of almonds, some pumpkin seeds, or a small plate of pistachios.
“In the Mediterranean diet, dessert is a plate of fruit after a meal,” says Paravantes. “Save sweets for once a week and for special occasions.”
