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Adherence to the MIND diet and longitudinal brain structural changes over a decade: evidence from the Framingham heart study offspring cohort
The MIND diet has been linked to a reduced risk of neurodegenerative diseases, yet its impact on long-term brain structural changes remains inadequately explored. This analysis included 1,647 participants from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort. The MIND diet score was derived from a validated food frequency questionnaire administered at multiple intervals. Brain imaging data were collected from 1999 to 2019, with an average follow-up of 12.3 years. Linear mixed models were used to evaluate the relationship between MIND diet adherence and longitudinal brain structural changes.
Findings indicated that higher adherence to the MIND diet was associated with a slower decline in total grey matter volume. Specifically, each 3-unit increase in the MIND diet score was associated with a 0.279 cm³/year reduction in grey matter loss (95% CI: 0.089 to 0.469), corresponding to a 20.1% attenuation of age-related change, equivalent to a 2.5-year delay in brain ageing. Furthermore, a higher MIND diet score was associated with a slower increase in lateral ventricular volume, particularly in the left lateral ventricle, with a decrease of 0.071 cm³/year (95% CI: −0.125 to −0.017), reflecting an 8.0% attenuation of age-related changes.
This prospective cohort study demonstrates that adherence to the MIND diet is associated with reduced brain structural atrophy, particularly in grey matter and ventricular enlargement, highlighting its potential as a dietary strategy to promote brain health and mitigate structural brain ageing. [NPID: Brain atrophy, grey matter volume, neurocognitive decline, MIND Diet]
Year: 2026
