April 8, 2026
Good news on the food front: Two new studies show that eating a heart-healthy diet may help to keep the brain in good working order as we age. The findings add to growing evidence that what we eat can play an important role in helping to ward off diseases like Alzheimer’s as we age.
The first study, published in JAMA Neurology, tracked 159,347 health professionals who were part of two long-running studies investigating nutrition and health: the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Researchers assessed how closely participants adhered to six eating patterns that have been shown to promote heart health. The diets were generally high in plant foods and “good” fats like olive oil and low in meats and saturated fats like butter.
Those who followed any of these heart-healthy eating patterns tended to score higher on cognitive tests than their peers who ate less healthy foods. Over several decades of follow up, they were also less likely to report problems with their memory, and over all, they scored higher on tests of memory and thinking skills.
One diet that was particularly effective for brain health was the DASH diet, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The DASH diet has long been promoted to lower blood pressure. High blood pressure is tied to heart attacks and strokes and is a recognized risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, so it makes sense that measures that help to keep blood pressure in check would be good for the brain.
People who followed the DASH diet most closely had a 41 percent lower risk of cognitive decline than those who least closely followed the heart-healthy eating plan. Those who tended to follow a DASH-style diet in midlife, between the ages of 45 and 54, were especially likely to show brain benefits.
The DASH diet focuses on eating more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and lean proteins like fish and lentils. Foods to avoid include red meats and saturated fats, sweets and sugary drinks, and added salt.
The second study, published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, looked at 1,647 middle-aged and older men and women who were part of the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Study. Over an average of 12 years of follow-up, it found that those who adhered most closely to a MIND diet— a combination of the DASH diet and the popular Mediterranean diet—had slower declines in total gray matter volume in the brain. Preservation of brain volume is associated with a lower risk of cognitive problems and Alzheimer’s disease.
The researchers estimated that following a MIND-style diet delayed brain aging by more than two years. The MIND diet contains many of the heart-healthy foods found in the DASH diet, but emphasizes some specific foods thought to boost brain health, such as leafy greens and berries. Both diets limit saturated fats, added sugars, red meat, and fried foods.
Both studies showed only an association between a heart-healthy diet and a diminished risk of developing cognitive problems. They cannot prove cause and effect. Still, as a growing number of studies have found, what’s good for the heart is likely also good for the brain, whether that’s diet, exercise or a combination of these and other factors.
What may be most important when it comes to diet may not be following one specific diet but rather a heart-healthy, plant-rich eating plan. Focus on gradually shifting toward more vegetables and fruits, fish and whole grains while reducing highly processed foods and sugary beverages. Opt to snack on a handful of nuts rather than a handful of pretzels or chips. Making small choices today may offer big brain benefits years down the road.
By ALZinfo.org, The Alzheimer’s Information Site. Reviewed by Eric Schmidt, Ph.D., Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation at The Rockefeller University.
Sources: Hui Chen, PhD; Marianna Cortese, MD, PhD; Mario H. Flores-Torres, MD, PhD; et al: “Dietary Patterns and Indicators of Cognitive Function.” JAMA Neurology, February 23, 2026
Hui Chen, PhD; Gulisiya Hailili; Lu-sha Tong; et al: “Adherence to the MIND diet and longitudinal brain structural changes over a decade: evidence from the Framingham heart study offspring cohort.” Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, March 17, 2026
