Can changing your diet in your 40s protect your brain? This new study shows the MIND diet lifts mood and lifestyle—before cognitive decline begins.
Study: The MIND diet, cognitive function, and well-being among healthy adults at midlife: a randomised feasibility trial. Image Credit: Elena Eryomenko / Shutterstock
In a recent study published in the journal BMC Nutrition, researchers tested the feasibility and exploratory effectiveness of the Mediterranean-Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet on cognitive function, mood, and quality of life among midlife adults.
Background
Did you know nearly 850,000 people in the United Kingdom (UK) currently live with dementia, projected to reach over one million by 2025? Diet significantly influences cognitive health, with Mediterranean and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diets known to reduce the risk of cognitive decline. However, these diets were not explicitly developed for brain health. The MIND diet uniquely targets cognitive wellness by emphasizing foods that promote brain health and limiting harmful dietary components. Current evidence primarily focuses on older populations, underscoring the need to investigate the potential of dietary interventions during midlife, a critical window for preventing cognitive decline. Further research is essential to verify midlife intervention benefits.
About the study
A randomized controlled pilot feasibility trial was conducted online, involving 41 healthy participants (both males and females), aged between 40 and 55 years, recruited from Northern Ireland. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: the MIND diet with support, the MIND diet without support, or a control group following standard dietary guidelines for 12 weeks. Baseline and post-intervention measures assessed cognitive function, mood, and quality of life using validated tools: the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief version.
Nutritional intake was monitored via food diaries analyzed with Nutritics software, and adherence to the MIND diet was assessed using a structured scoring system based on 15 brain-healthy and brain-unhealthy dietary components. Both intervention groups received detailed MIND dietary guidance and self-monitoring tools. The “support” group additionally accessed a simple online platform featuring educational content, a peer discussion forum, and weekly motivational reminders via text messages. Participants’ adherence, capability, opportunity, and motivation to maintain dietary changes were evaluated using the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behavior (COM-B) self-assessment questionnaire. The intervention was grounded in the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) and Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF), which guided the selection of behavioral change techniques. Ethical approval was obtained in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki guidelines, and analyses were performed using repeated-measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software.
Study results
Participants’ adherence to the MIND diet significantly improved from baseline to post-intervention in both intervention groups compared to the control group (p < 0.001). The improvement did not differ significantly between the two intervention groups, indicating that the level of support (basic information versus additional resources and reminders) did not notably affect dietary adherence.
Nonetheless, both intervention groups exhibited significant positive dietary changes, including a decrease in the intake of carbohydrates, sugars, free sugars, and saturated fats. Additionally, nutrient intake significantly improved in the intervention groups, with increased consumption of dietary fiber, omega-6 fatty acids, iron, vitamins B6 and B9, and vitamin C compared to the control group.
In assessing mood, the intervention groups reported significant increases in positive affect post-intervention compared to the control groups (p = 0.047), indicating a beneficial effect of the MIND diet on emotional well-being. Similarly, the physical dimension of quality of life improved significantly in both intervention groups compared to the control group (p = 0.023), suggesting that dietary improvements enhanced perceived physical well-being.
Cognitive assessments did not reveal statistically significant differences between groups over the intervention period. However, participants across all groups, including the control group, showed minor improvements in performance on spatial working memory tasks. These findings suggest that modest improvements may be related to practice effects or time, rather than the dietary intervention itself. The short duration of the intervention also likely limited observable cognitive gains.
Significant improvements were noted across the capability, opportunity, and motivation dimensions (COM-B model components) in both intervention groups compared to the control group. Specifically, knowledge about dietary benefits, skill in maintaining dietary changes, belief in personal capability, and understanding the positive consequences of diet improved substantially. Both intervention groups outperformed controls, highlighting the successful use of behavioral change strategies integrated within the MIND diet intervention. There were no significant differences between the two intervention groups in COM-B outcomes, indicating that additional support may not have conferred added benefit in this format.
Conclusions
To summarize, this pilot feasibility trial underscores the potential benefits of the MIND diet in improving dietary behavior, emotional well-being, and overall quality of life among healthy adults in midlife. Although significant cognitive improvements were not detected within the brief 12-week timeframe, and the small sample size limits generalizability, notable positive changes in mood and nutritional quality highlight the broader benefits of adopting the MIND dietary pattern. Future research should explore longer intervention durations and larger participant samples to robustly determine cognitive outcomes. Applying a theory-driven behavioral framework, including education, self-monitoring, and goal setting, can improve dietary adherence and support the practicality of implementing the MIND diet in real-world settings.
