Heart-healthy diets may help women limit signs of cognitive decline later in life

Following a heart-healthy diet may help women decrease their risk of developing symptoms of cognitive decline later in life, according to a new analysis published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia.[1]

The study’s authors examined decades of data from more than 5,000 women who participated in the NYU Women’s Health Study, exploring how following the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) early in life appeared to impact long-term health.  

What is the DASH diet?

The DASH diet is low on sodium and high on nutrients such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, protein and fiber. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry, beans and nuts are all parts of a standard DASH diet. Beef, pork, lamb, fattier dairy products, tropical oils, sweets and sugar-sweetened drinks, meanwhile, are severely limited in such a diet.

In January 2023, U.S. News and World Report ranked the DASH diet at No. 1 on its list of the top heart-healthy diets. In May 2023, meanwhile, a separate analysis out of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health ranked it as one of the three best diets for preventing cardiovascular disease.