# People Following the MIND Diet Develop Dementia Less Often

_Evidence Level: Moderate · Kim Y, Psychiatry research, DOI 10.1016/j.psychres.2026.117531_

*The association of seven dietary patterns and the risk of dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.*

- **Evidence Level**: Moderate
- **Why this grade**: The analysis pools 21 observational studies with about 590,000 people; without trials that assigned diets at random, cause and effect stay unproven.
- **Facts**: Design: Meta-analysis
- **Publication Types**: Journal Article
- **Journal**: Psychiatry research
- **Sample Size**: 590,029 adults in 21 studies
- **Authors**: Kim Y
- **Graded and published**: 2026-10-14
- **Last edited**: 2026-10-26
- **Topics**: Nutrition, Brain Health
- **DOI**: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2026.117531
- **Original Source**: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42896464/

## Summary

What people eat may be linked to their risk of dementia. An analysis pooling 21 studies with about 590,000 people found that those who stuck closely to the MIND diet had a 21 percent lower risk of dementia. They were compared with people who barely followed it. The MIND diet blends Mediterranean eating with a diet designed to fight high blood pressure.

Every included study followed people for years, and 19,401 of them developed dementia. The researchers looked at seven ways of eating. People who ate a healthy plant-based diet also had a 15 percent lower risk. The classic Mediterranean diet showed no clear link. Neither did the blood pressure diet on its own, an unhealthy plant-based diet or a Western diet.

These studies observed people rather than changing what they ate. So they cannot show that the diet itself lowers the risk. The authors call for more long-term studies before diet advice for preventing dementia can be given.

## Practical Takeaway

People who closely followed the MIND diet had a 21 percent lower dementia risk than people who barely followed it.

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_Canonical: https://longevity-cities.com/en/research/people-following-the-mind-diet-develop-dementia-less-often · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-10-26_