A combination of the Mediterranean way of eating and the so-called low-fat DASH diet maintains at-risk people's thinking, reasoning and memories, a study found.
Followers of such eating habits, in a diet known as MIND, are required to consume nine foods or drinks regularly, including at least one portion of green leafy vegetables a day, berries twice a week and even a daily glass of wine, the research adds.
It also allows dieters to munch on sweets and pastries, providing they limit themselves to just four times a week, the study found.
When stroke survivors who suffered cognitive decline followed the MIND diet for up to 13 years, their risk of developing dementia significantly reduced, with researchers stressing such eating habits will also benefit the brains of healthy people.
Study author Dr Laurel Cherian from Rush University, said: 'The goal is to emphasize foods that will not only lower our risk of heart attacks and stroke, but make our brains as resilient as possible to cognitive decline.'
One in eight people over 65 in the US has Alzheimer's disease, which is the most common form of dementia.
The Daily Mail
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