Le régime MIND peut-il contribuer à la santé de notre cerveau ?

Qu'est-ce que le régime MIND ?

Le régime MIND est une combinaison du régime DASH et du régime méditerranéen, qui met l'accent sur les aliments susceptibles de renforcer la santé du cerveau.

US nutritionist Dr Martha Clare Morris developed MIND - Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay - to see how what we eat can lower the chance of dementia and to stop our brain power declining as we get older.

Le régime méditerranéen met l'accent sur la consommation d'aliments aussi naturels que possible, tout en limitant les graisses malsaines et la viande rouge. Le régime DASH est conçu pour prévenir ou réduire l'hypertension artérielle et encourage les gens à manger des aliments sains contenant moins de sel.

In 2015, Morris and her team published a study that found that people who followed the Mediterranean and DASH diets had better levels of brain function compared to people who didn’t follow those diets. The study also found that eating whole grains, leafy greens, nuts, and berries were also associated with better brain health¹.

Régime MIND aliments à consommer

Sophie Medlin, director and specialist dietitian at City Dietitians and chair of the British Dietetic Association (BDA) for London, says the MIND diet encourages you to eat foods that contain nutrients that protect the brain and make it function at its best.

"Les huiles de poisson sont particulièrement importantes pour préserver la structure du cerveau et il a été démontré que les baies améliorent les fonctions cérébrales, y compris la mémoire et la concentration", ajoute Medlin.

These foods contain high levels of health-giving antioxidants which protect the cells of the body from DNA damage and reduce inflammation. Oxidative stress can cause damage to organs and contributes to diseases such as dementia, cancer and heart disease.

The MIND diet foods contain nutrients such as vitamin C, Omega 3, B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, and iron, which all contribute to overall brain function.

Foods to avoid on the MIND diet

The MIND diet encourages you to limit your consumption of these foods:

• Pastries and sweets.

• La viande rouge.

• Fromage.

• Fried foods.

• Butter and margarine.

These foods are processed or contain a lot of sugar, which can be harmful to our brain function.

Le régime MIND est-il efficace ?

Medlin explains that the MIND diet has been well-researched and there is huge credibility behind its potential to reduce brain health decline.

She says: “The 2015 study found that the higher the MIND diet score, the slower the rate of brain health decline in comparison to those with a low MIND diet score.”

In this study, Morris and her team conducted studies of the MIND diet for nearly a decade, working with a group of 923 participants. The results showed that people who stuck rigidly to the diet had a 53% lower chance of Alzheimer's disease - and those who followed the diet moderately well had a 35% lower chance. The longer a person followed the diet, the better protected they were from developing the condition.

Other studies have linked the MIND diet to a slower rate of brain health decline after stroke, better verbal memory in later life and larger total brain volume. However, more research is needed over a longer period to see how the MIND diet may affect people long-term.

Les avantages du régime MIND

Contrairement à de nombreux autres régimes, le régime MIND n'inclut pas de plans de repas. Vous devez donc créer vos propres recettes à partir des aliments inclus. Vous n'êtes pas non plus limité à ces aliments. Bien que ce régime soit plus flexible, il peut s'avérer difficile pour les personnes qui ne savent pas cuisiner.

Pour en savoir plus

1. Morris et al : Le régime MIND ralentit le déclin cognitif avec le vieillissement.