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Effect of MIND diet on cognitive function in elderly: a narrative review with emphasis on bioactive food ingredients

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Abstract

As the world becomes a super-aged society, cognitive decline is public health problems that are increasing rapidly. A healthy diet has great potential for maintaining cognitive health. A diet that could delay the onset of neurodegenerative diseases has been developed: the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet, a hybrid form of the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. In this review, the effects of the MIND diet on improving cognitive function, including memory, are summarized. In most studies, the higher the adherence to the MIND diet, the higher the cognitive function evaluation score, and the lower the incidence of dementia. This is because of the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of the major nutritional components of the MIND diet: folate, carotenoids, polyphenols, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Adherence to the MIND diet, containing various bioactive food ingredients, is related to cognitive improvement in the elderly population.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by funding from the Ottogi Ham Taiho Foundation (Grant Number: 201900000670003).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food and Nutrition, Hanyang University, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea

    Yuhyun Seo, Hyun Kyung Kim, Yejin Kim, Sumin Kang, Hayoon Kim & Gwang-woong Go

  2. Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Pukyong National University, Busan, 48513, Republic of Korea

    Gyoungok Gang & Sang Gill Lee

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Seo, Y., Gang, G., Kim, H.K. et al. Effect of MIND diet on cognitive function in elderly: a narrative review with emphasis on bioactive food ingredients. Food Sci Biotechnol 33, 297–306 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-023-01465-0

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