Eat Right
A diet with balanced nutrition can help protect brain health. Eating healthier foods is associated with a larger brain tissue volume in the part of the brain that controls memory. A heart-healthy diet is a brain-healthy diet.
What diet should I eat for brain health?
The U.S. POINTER study showed that a healthy lifestyle program combining exercise, nutrition, cognitive engagement and health monitoring can meaningfully protect brain health. The U.S. POINTER Brain Health Recipe (PDF) includes following the MIND diet. The MIND diet provides optimal nutrition for brain health.
Try using a food tracker
Track your eating habits to see what you're doing well and where there is room for improvement. Download the MIND diet tracker PDF and post it on your refrigerator to check off the food groups you are eating.
The MIND diet emphasizes eating:
- Leafy green vegetables (one serving a day)
- Other vegetables (one serving a day)
- Berries (five servings a week)
- Whole grains (three servings a day)
- Poultry (white meat, skinless) (two servings a week)
- Fish (not fried) (one serving a week)
- Beans and legumes (three servings a week)
- Nuts (five servings a week)
- Extra virgin olive oil (two servings a day)
The MIND diet limits:
- Red and processed meats
- Butter and margarine
- Cheese
- Fried foods
- Sweets
Foods to include in your diet
The MIND diet and other well-established diets, such as the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet, share some common themes. These diets can give you more ideas of healthy meals and snacks to add to what you currently eat. By incorporating the categories below into your daily eating habits, you’ll eat healthier and be able to continue to eat foods that are important to you and your family. Try adding in more fruits and vegetables or swapping to a healthier cooking oil.
Fruits and vegetables
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Many fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants, which may help protect brain health.
Lean proteins
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Choose options that are high in protein but lower in fat, such as skinless chicken and turkey, leaner cuts of beef and pork, low-fat dairy, beans and tofu.
Lower-fat foods
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In addition to lower-fat protein options, try to eat foods that are lower in saturated fat. Instead of butter, for example, try cooking with olive oil, avocado oil and seed oils — options with healthier (unsaturated) fats.
Less-processed foods
- Highly processed foods are foods that are produced with added sugar, salt, fat and/or artificial preservatives. Avoid highly processed foods such as packaged snacks and treats, lunch meat and instant noodles.
In addition to eating right, there are other habits you can incorporate into your life to help maintain a healthy brain. View the 10 Healthy Habits for Your Brain.
Be cautious about supplements
Many vitamins and supplements claim to improve thinking and memory. Often, these products have been developed with limited or no regulation or study and are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Some vitamins and supplements can interact with other medications you may be taking and could be dangerous. While a couple of studies have indicated there may be a benefit to taking a multivitamin, a healthy diet remains the best way to promote body and brain health. Consult your health care provider to check if you are meeting your nutritional needs and hear any recommendations.
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