Feeding your future brain: how food affects long-term cognitive function
Dr Libby (PhD) offers nutritional insight into how to protect your brain now and into the future.
Research is challenging the idea that dementia is solely down to genetics and other factors beyond our control.
There are specific dietary patterns associated with better cognitive health over time.
Your brain is highly metabolically active, with significant energy and nutrient requirements.
A brain-friendly plate doesn’t require an elaborate new diet; a variety of whole real foods is key.
Small choices, repeated often, can add up to a very different way of feeding your future brain.
We tend to think about dementia as something that happens to us. Something determined by age, genetics or perhaps luck. But research is increasingly challenging that idea.
A major 2024 report from the Lancet Commission identified 14 potentially modifiable risk factors and estimated that addressing them across the course of our lives could prevent or delay around 45% of dementia cases.
That doesn’t mean dementia is always preventable. Age and genetics still matter, as do factors outside our individual control. But it does tell us something important: how we live throughout our lives may influence how our brains age. What we eat is one part of that picture. And when researchers look at the dietary patterns associated with better cognitive health over time, some remarkably consistent themes emerge.
So, what does eating for your future brain actually look like?
It’s the pattern that matters
Two of the most researched approaches to eating for brain health are the Mediterranean diet and the MIND diet.
The Mediterranean diet centres around vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts, wholegrains, and olive oil, with fish and some minimally processed foods regularly included.
The MIND diet combines elements of the Mediterranean and DASH (a way of eating that emphasises whole real foods, particularly those rich in potassium, magnesium, calcium, and fibre to help lower blood pressure) diets, with an additional emphasis on foods such as leafy greens and berries.
Rather than hinging on one “brain food”, both approaches have something important in common: they create an overall pattern rich in vegetables, beneficial fats and naturally occurring compounds including antioxidants and polyphenols. Research has linked greater adherence to Mediterranean-style eating with better cognitive outcomes.
In the PREDIMED-NAVARRA randomised clinical trial, older adults following Mediterranean diets supplemented with either extra virgin olive oil or nuts showed better cognitive outcomes than the control group over the study period.
Why might these foods matter?
Your brain is extraordinarily metabolically active. Although it accounts for only a small proportion of body weight, it has significant energy and nutrient requirements.
That makes the quality of the raw materials we provide important. Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly those found in oily fish, are components of brain cell membranes and are involved in normal neuronal function.
A systematic review examining omega-3 fatty acids, Mediterranean-style eating and cognitive function found evidence of an association with healthier cognitive ageing, although the researchers noted that findings across studies were not entirely consistent.
Then there are antioxidants and polyphenols, found abundantly in colourful vegetables and fruit including berries, herbs, nuts, and extra virgin olive oil.
These compounds are of particular interest because oxidative stress and inflammation are among the biological processes being investigated in relation to cognitive ageing.
Extra virgin olive oil is especially interesting. Beyond its high concentration of monounsaturated fats, it contains a variety of phenolic compounds. In a 2024 study following more than 92,000 US adults for 28 years, consuming more than 7 grams of olive oil per day was associated with a 28% lower risk of dementia-related death compared with rarely or never consuming it.
What does a brain-friendly plate actually look like?
The encouraging part is that eating with your future brain in mind doesn’t require an elaborate new diet. It can be as simple as making vegetables the foundation of meals and choosing plenty of different colours across the week.
Add legumes such as lentils and beans regularly. Snack on nuts and seeds. Choose wholegrains (if you digest them well) over more heavily refined options. Include oily fish and make extra virgin olive oil a regular kitchen staple.
Berries and leafy greens feature particularly prominently in the MIND approach, but variety matters too.
Different plant foods provide different combinations of vitamins, minerals, fibre, and phytochemicals, which is another good reason not to pin your hopes on one supposedly superior food or ingredient.
Feed the brain you want to take into the future
None of us can completely control what happens to our cognitive health as we age. Yet, that doesn’t mean our everyday choices are insignificant.
Perhaps the most useful shift is to stop thinking about brain health as something that begins in old age. The meals you eat today are part of a dietary pattern that builds over years and decades.
You don’t need to overhaul everything overnight. More plants, more colour and more whole foods alongside beneficial fats from foods such as nuts, seeds, fish and extra virgin olive oil.
Small choices, repeated often, can add up to a very different way of feeding your future brain.
Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional about any health concerns or before making any changes to your medication, diet, or exercise routine.
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