Dietary Patterns and Brain Health in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Narrative Review

Jamie A Seabrook^{1

2

3

4

5

6}, Abolfazl Avan^{1

7}, Colleen O'Connor^{3

5}, Harry Prapavessis⁸, Lindsay Nagamatsu⁸, Jasna Twynstra^{3

4

5}, Saverio Stranges^{1

9

10

11}, Arlene MacDougall^{1

12}, Vladimir Hachinski^{1

13}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Western University, London, ON N6G 2M1, Canada.
² Department of Paediatrics, Western University, London, ON N6A 5W9, Canada.
³ Brescia School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Western University, London, ON N6G 2V4, Canada.
⁴ Children's Health Research Institute, London, ON N6C 2V5, Canada.
⁵ Lawson Research Institute, London, ON N6A 4V2, Canada.
⁶ London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute, London, ON N6A 5W9, Canada.
⁷ Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada.
⁸ School of Kinesiology, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada.
⁹ Department of Family Medicine, Western University, London, ON N6G 2M1, Canada.
¹⁰ Department of Medicine, Western University, London, ON N6A 5A5, Canada.
¹¹ Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy.
¹² Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, ON N6C 087, Canada.
¹³ Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada.

PMID: 40362745
PMCID: PMC12073693
DOI: 10.3390/nu17091436

Review

Dietary Patterns and Brain Health in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Narrative Review

Jamie A Seabrook et al. Nutrients. 2025.

. 2025 Apr 24;17(9):1436.

doi: 10.3390/nu17091436.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Western University, London, ON N6G 2M1, Canada.
² Department of Paediatrics, Western University, London, ON N6A 5W9, Canada.
³ Brescia School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Western University, London, ON N6G 2V4, Canada.
⁴ Children's Health Research Institute, London, ON N6C 2V5, Canada.
⁵ Lawson Research Institute, London, ON N6A 4V2, Canada.
⁶ London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute, London, ON N6A 5W9, Canada.
⁷ Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada.
⁸ School of Kinesiology, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada.
⁹ Department of Family Medicine, Western University, London, ON N6G 2M1, Canada.
¹⁰ Department of Medicine, Western University, London, ON N6A 5A5, Canada.
¹¹ Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy.
¹² Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, ON N6C 087, Canada.
¹³ Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada.

PMID: 40362745
PMCID: PMC12073693
DOI: 10.3390/nu17091436

Abstract

Diet has a profound impact on brain health, particularly in middle-aged and older adults, who are at increased risk of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases. Various dietary patterns, including the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diets, have been linked to improved cognitive function. While the relative effectiveness of these diets on brain health is generally supported by evidence, variability in study results suggests that further research is needed to fully understand their effects across diverse populations. The objective of this descriptive narrative review is to examine the role of dietary patterns in supporting brain health in aging populations and to propose practical dietary strategies for promoting cognitive well-being. A comprehensive review of the existing literature was conducted on PubMed in October 2024, with no restrictions on language, publication date (1966-2024), or geographic location. A total of 18 articles were included in this review, covering the years 2013-2023. Studies assessing the impact of the MedDiet, DASH, MIND, and Western diets on cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults were prioritized. The research findings were synthesized to identify common and unique recommendations across these dietary patterns. The MedDiet consistently showed beneficial effects on cognitive health, including improved memory, processing speed, and long-term protection against neurodegenerative conditions. The DASH and MIND diets demonstrated potential benefits, particularly for specific cognitive domains, but the results were more mixed and inconclusive. In contrast, adherence to a Western diet was associated with negative cognitive outcomes, including cognitive decline and smaller brain volumes. These findings underscore the importance of adopting healthy dietary patterns as a modifiable lifestyle factor to support cognitive aging and inform future public health strategies and clinical guidelines.

Keywords: DASH diet; MIND diet; Mediterranean diet; Western diet; antioxidants; brain health; cognitive function; dietary patterns; neurodegenerative diseases; omega-3 fatty acids.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

**Figure 1**
Eat a variety of healthy foods each day. Source: [74], modified, 24 March 2025. Adapted and reproduced with permission from the Minister of Health, 2025. Available at: https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/food-guide-snapshot/, accessed on 24 March 2025.

**Figure 2**
Brain-healthy dietary recommendations.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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Dietary Patterns and Brain Health in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Narrative Review

Affiliations

Dietary Patterns and Brain Health in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Narrative Review

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Medical