It’s never too late to eat your way to a healthier mind: Study

Think it's too late to change your life by switching your diet? This could change your mind

New research shows the aptly named MIND diet helps protect your brain, even if started later in life

The MIND diet combines the ever-popular Mediterranean diet with the DASH diet, which is meant to help lower blood pressure

And a new study by the University of Hawaii and University of Southern California shows switching to the MIND diet significantly decreases your chances of developing Alzheimer's or dementia, even in those middle-aged or older

The study looked at data from nearly 93,000 American adults between the ages of 45 and 75, starting in the 90s

Based on that data, researchers found those who closely followed the MIND diet had a 9% lower chance of getting dementia than those who didn't, a link we already knew about

But they also found the risk of dementia for those who improved their adherence to the MIND diet over 10 years, even if they didn't follow the diet closely at first, dropped 25%

So what are the main components of the MIND diet? Getting at least six servings per week of leafy greens, things like broccoli, kale and spinach, plus one serving per day of other vegetables, five or more servings of nuts like almonds or pistachios a week

At least three servings of whole grains each day. Getting at least one serving of fish per week

That's not fried. And limiting pastries and sweets to fewer than five servings every week

It also limits eating cheese, red meat, and fried foods to less than one serving per week

Gives a new meaning to the term brain food. To stay up to date on all the latest info you need to live your healthiest life, make sure you download the Straight Arrow News app today