¿Puede la dieta MIND ayudar a mantener sano nuestro cerebro?

¿Qué es la dieta MIND?

La dieta MIND es una combinación de la dieta DASH y la dieta mediterránea, centrada en alimentos que pueden mejorar la salud cerebral.

US nutritionist Dr Martha Clare Morris developed MIND - Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay - to see how what we eat can lower the chance of dementia and to stop our brain power declining as we get older.

La dieta mediterránea se centra en comer alimentos lo más naturales posible, limitando al mismo tiempo las grasas poco saludables y la carne roja. La dieta DASH está diseñada para prevenir o reducir la hipertensión arterial y anima a comer alimentos sanos que contengan menos sal.

In 2015, Morris and her team published a study that found that people who followed the Mediterranean and DASH diets had better levels of brain function compared to people who didn’t follow those diets. The study also found that eating whole grains, leafy greens, nuts, and berries were also associated with better brain health¹.

Alimentos de la dieta MIND

Sophie Medlin, director and specialist dietitian at City Dietitians and chair of the British Dietetic Association (BDA) for London, says the MIND diet encourages you to eat foods that contain nutrients that protect the brain and make it function at its best.

"Los aceites de pescado son especialmente importantes para preservar la estructura del cerebro y se ha demostrado que las bayas mejoran la función cerebral, incluida la memoria y la concentración", añade Medlin.

These foods contain high levels of health-giving antioxidants which protect the cells of the body from DNA damage and reduce inflammation. Oxidative stress can cause damage to organs and contributes to diseases such as dementia, cancer and heart disease.

The MIND diet foods contain nutrients such as vitamin C, Omega 3, B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, and iron, which all contribute to overall brain function.

Foods to avoid on the MIND diet

The MIND diet encourages you to limit your consumption of these foods:

• Pastries and sweets.

• Carne roja.

• Queso.

• Fried foods.

• Butter and margarine.

These foods are processed or contain a lot of sugar, which can be harmful to our brain function.

¿Funciona la dieta MIND?

Medlin explains that the MIND diet has been well-researched and there is huge credibility behind its potential to reduce brain health decline.

She says: “The 2015 study found that the higher the MIND diet score, the slower the rate of brain health decline in comparison to those with a low MIND diet score.”

In this study, Morris and her team conducted studies of the MIND diet for nearly a decade, working with a group of 923 participants. The results showed that people who stuck rigidly to the diet had a 53% lower chance of Alzheimer's disease - and those who followed the diet moderately well had a 35% lower chance. The longer a person followed the diet, the better protected they were from developing the condition.

Other studies have linked the MIND diet to a slower rate of brain health decline after stroke, better verbal memory in later life and larger total brain volume. However, more research is needed over a longer period to see how the MIND diet may affect people long-term.

Beneficios de la dieta MIND

A diferencia de muchas otras dietas, la dieta MIND no incluye planes de comidas por lo que tienes que hacer tus propias recetas basadas en los alimentos incluidos. Tampoco estás restringido a comer sólo estos alimentos. Aunque esto significa que el plan es más flexible, puede ser un reto para las personas que no cocinan.

Para saber más

1. Morris et al: La dieta MIND ralentiza el deterioro cognitivo con el envejecimiento.