MIND Diet May Protect Against Alzheimer's

A new diet, appropriately known by the acronym MIND, could significantly lower a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to new research.

What's more amazing is that the diet doesn't even have to be strictly followed to be beneficial, researchers say.

Called the "Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay" (MIND) diet, it reportedly lowered the risk of Alzheimer's by as much as 53 percent - at least, for participants who followed the diet to a T. But even for those who adhered to it moderately well, the MIND diet lowered their AD risk by about 35 percent.

"One of the more exciting things about this is that people who adhered even moderately to the MIND diet had a reduction in their risk for AD," nutritional epidemiologist and lead author Martha Clare Morris, from Rush University Medical Center, said in a statement. "I think that will motivate people."

So what exactly is in the miraculous MIND diet? Well, it's a combination of the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets, both of which have been found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular conditions like hypertension, heart attack and stroke.

The MIND diet is most beneficial to those who eat at least three servings of whole grains, a salad and one other vegetable every day - along with a glass of wine - frequently snacks on nuts, and has beans every other day or so. In addition, this diet requires eating poultry and berries at least twice a week and fish at least once a week. (Scroll to read on...)