Consumption patterns of dementia patients compared to the MIND diet

Abstract Background It is well‐documented that nutrition plays a role in the development and the progression of dementia. There have been numerous suggestions on how to combat this issue from the pre‐diagnosis stage and throughout as nutritional deficiencies and malnutrition persist. Certain dietary patterns have been shown to be protective against this disease, namely the MIND diet. There is limited data on the current intake of individuals living with dementia therefore it is important to identify nutrition patterns in order to improve outcomes. Method Researchers compared the dietary intake of diagnosed dementia patients compared to the dietary pattern recommended in the MIND diet. Dementia caregivers filled out food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) for loved ones with dementia on recent nutrition intake. Current intake was compared to the MIND diet categories for adequacy. Result Caregivers (n = 28) completed FFQs on the eating patterns of respective dementia participant. Compared to the MIND diet serving recommendations, most participants reported under consumption of whole grains, leafy vegetables, and nuts, and over consumption of poultry, other vegetables, fast/fried foods, and cheese. Participants adhered to the recommendations for red meat, and all (100%) reported consumption patterns of steak, hamburgers and roast beef as less than 4 times per week. Fifty‐two percent reported fish consumption of one week or less; 50% ate 1 serving of nuts; 46.7% consumed the recommended amount of beans per week, and only 2 individuals reported alcohol consumption and it was kept to 1 serving per day. Pattern for frequencies for berries consumption was split evenly: 29.4% met the recommendation for consumption, while 29.4% reported lower than recommended consumption of this food item. Conclusion Results indicate that individuals with dementia are eating well below the recommended levels of suggested foods in the MIND diet. Excess consumption of items that should be limited was observed. These findings indicate a call to action for input from Registered Dietitians to counsel patients and caregivers after dementia diagnosis.