A study conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health suggests that heart-healthy eating patterns, such as the Mediterranean and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diets, may have long-term benefits for cognitive health. The findings were published on February 23 in JAMA Neurology.
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The research analyzed dietary and health data from over 150,000 participants in the Nurses’ Health Studies and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, spanning approximately 30 years. The participants were predominantly female, with an average age of 44 at the beginning of the study. Their diets were assessed based on adherence to six heart-healthy dietary patterns, characterized by high consumption of fish and vegetables, and low intake of red and processed meats, fried foods, and sugary drinks.
While all six dietary patterns were found to correlate with improved cognitive health as the participants aged, the DASH diet exhibited particularly strong and consistent links. Kjetil Bjornevik, the lead author and an assistant professor of epidemiology and nutrition, emphasized the importance of gradual dietary changes for enhanced heart and cognitive health in a February 23 article for Everyday Health. He suggested that making small, sustainable adjustments is more practical and likely to be maintained over time than implementing drastic changes.