We asked Monique Richard, MS, RDN, LDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Nutrition-In-Sight, for her top tips on how to use what we eat to potentially help lower dementia risk and preserve cognitive health, whether you plan to follow the DASH diet or not.
“As a dietitian, what excites me most is the possibility of prevention and intervention with the power of nutrition-rich nourishment,” Richard commented. “Cognitive decline is multifactorial, nutrition is one of the few modifiable risk factors we can influence daily. Small, consistent shifts toward more plants, better blood sugar regulation, and vascular support can compound over time.”
For readers who may not be able to follow the DASH diet completely, Richard advised integrating some of its concepts, such as strategically increasing fruit and vegetable intake, into their current diet.
Richard said to aim for 5–8 servings daily, with each serving equal to 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw, with color and family variety, such as beans, leafy greens, and members of the allium family like garlic, onion, and chives.
“Why are variety, quality, and amount so important? Deeply colored plants — berries, leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables — provide flavonoids and carotenoids linked to slower cognitive decline. Leafy greens supply folate and vitamin K, nutrients associated with better cognitive performance. Polyphenols support cerebral blood flow and may enhance synaptic signaling,” Richard explained.
Richard also advised adding one plant to every meal and snack, protecting your blood vessels by assessing the amount of sodium you consume in a day from ultra-processed foods, increasing your intake of potassium-rich foods, and prioritizing fiber-rich foods, such as whole grains, lentils, and fruit with its pith and/or skin.
“The gut-brain axis is an emerging and exciting area in dementia research,” Richard continued. “Your fork is one of your most powerful brain-health tools to help build, or even possibly restore, cognitive resilience, building a foundation bite by bite, meal by meal.”
