Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40362745›Full record

ReviewNutrients2025

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

Jamie A Seabrook, Abolfazl Avan, Colleen O'Connor, Harry Prapavessis, Lindsay Nagamatsu, Jasna Twynstra, Saverio Stranges, Arlene MacDougall, Vladimir Hachinski

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Nutrients, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Review
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  5. Article
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  9. Observational
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Jamie A SeabrookDepartment of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Western University, London, ON N6G 2M1, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-4297-6450
Abolfazl AvanDepartment of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Western University, London, ON N6G 2M1, Canada.
Colleen O'ConnorBrescia School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Western University, London, ON N6G 2V4, Canada.
Harry PrapavessisSchool of Kinesiology, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada.
Lindsay NagamatsuSchool of Kinesiology, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada.
Jasna TwynstraBrescia School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Western University, London, ON N6G 2V4, Canada.
Saverio StrangesDepartment of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Western University, London, ON N6G 2M1, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-5226-8373
Arlene MacDougallDepartment of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Western University, London, ON N6G 2M1, Canada.
Vladimir HachinskiDepartment of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Western University, London, ON N6G 2M1, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-0487-734X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

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.

Indexed as

AgingBrainCognitionDietFeeding BehaviorAgedCognitive DysfunctionDietary Approaches To Stop HypertensionDiet, MediterraneanDiet, WesternFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeurodegenerative Diseasesantioxidantsbrain healthcognitive functionDASH dietdietary patternsMediterranean dietMIND dietneurodegenerative diseasesomega-3 fatty acidsWestern diet

Identifiers

PMID40362745
PMCPMC12073693

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.