Eating More Berries and Green Vegetables May Support Heart and Brain Health

Although the study indicates that eating more plant-based and limiting foods high in saturated fat (and animal products in general) may help support brain and heart health, it specifically attracts the attention to two groups of superfoods in the plant sphere: berries and green leafy vegetables.

The study focused on a particular style of plant-based eating known as the MIND diet, which was “developed as an intervention to help reduce cognitive decline and fight Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, “according to registered dietitian and nutritionist Isabel Smith, RD, CDN.

The new study, based on data from 2,512 participants, found that diets designed to help support heart health also had brain health benefits. “Our results underscore the importance of adherence to the MIND diet for better cardiovascular health,” explained corresponding author Vanessa Xanthakis, Ph.D.

For a point of reference, this diet is sort of a mix between the extremely popular Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension and was designed to help manage or prevent high blood pressure. And of course, the Mediterranean diet has its origins in heart health research: It has been studied by looking at the diets and overall health of seven countries, in relation to the risk of heart disease. Therefore, it is not a big jump to see how the diet could also lead to heart health benefits, even if it was not the intention of the eating style.

The MIND diet also has its own unique attributes. One of the key things, according to Smith, is how this diet emphasizes green, leafy vegetables, what the researchers call it. “Some star vegetables include spinach, kale and collard greens, which have been shown to be particularly beneficial for brain health due to their source of folate, vitamin E and carotenoids,” she explains.

Berries are another food group, according to recent research, another differentiator of the MIND diet. “This diet emphasizes the consumption of berries, especially blueberries and strawberries, as the primary source of fruit and does not emphasize any other fruit,” writes Smith, who explains more specifically “suggests two servings or more of berries per week (perfect guidelines for a delicious antioxidant smoothie). ”