> Not even on purpose, the diet to fight Alzheimer’s or prevent it would be called MIND (= mind), and it would be the union of two diets well known for their beneficial effects on cognitive abilities, on the heart and on health in general: namely the Mediterranean Diet and the Dash Diet against hypertension.

The name Mind would in fact be the acronym of “Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay”, and according to the group of American researchers of the Rush University Medical Center and Harvard School of Public Health who published the results of their research on Alzheimer’s and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association , the union of the two diets creates a one hundred percent healthy eating plan, useful for health but in particular for those who risk or are familiar with degenerative diseases of the mind, namely Alzheimer’s and senile dementias. The diet was developed by epidemiologist Martha Clare Morris.

Those who followed this diet for about ten years have in fact halved the risk of incurring similar neurocognitive pathologies (reduced risk by 53%).

This is what the MIND diet consists of.

1. Three servings of whole grains a day: whole grain bread or oatmeal for breakfast, pasta or rice or whole grain for lunch, potatoes or whole grain bread for dinner. Among the cereals: quinoa, barley, oats and corn are to be favored.
2. A large serving of salad or a large serving of vegetables at least once a day.
3. A glass of wine a day
4. A daily serving of 15-20 walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, almonds or pistachios
5. Legumes every other day: beans, chickpeas, peas, broad beans.
6. Berries (especially blueberries) and poultry (quality) at least twice a week
7. Fish one to three times a week, especially fish rich in omega3 (sardines, anchovies, salmon, mackerel)
8. No to margarine, butter, sugary foods, salty foods, industrially processed or refined foods
   
9. Up to 4 portions a day of fruit and vegetables: two vegetable side dishes between lunch and dinner, two portions of fruit after meals or as a snack.