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Foods to eat for healthy aging

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By Carly Gruneberg

Nutrition Guidance Provided by: Kaylyn Koons, MS, RD, LD/N

Nutrition as we Age

When it comes to brain health, your nutritional and lifestyle choices are among the most powerful tools you have to slow cognitive decline as you age. Nutrient-deficient diets may impair cognitive clarity and energy levels in the short term, and even increase your risk for developing neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, over time.

Another concern in the aging population is frailty, or the inability of the body to withstand stress, illness and injury. Frailty is characterized by weakness, slowness, low energy and overall loss of muscle and fat reserves1. Luckily, there are dietary patterns you can adopt to slow the effects of cognitive decline and frailty on your body, which emphasize receiving adequate amounts of calories, protein, vitamins and minerals.

Brain Healthy Diet Patterns

Mediterranean Diet: Originating in the Mediterranean Basin, this well-known diet features olive oil as the primary fat source, with plant foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains) taking up the bulk of the diet. Fish, seafood and dairy are consumed in moderation, while traditional Western meats with high levels of saturated fat, like beef and pork, are rarely consumed2. Bioactive compounds in fruits and vegetables, such as polyphenols and carotenoids, can protect neurons from damage, thereby reducing cognitive decline3. Additionally, the healthy fats in olive oil, fish and mixed nuts, particularly oleic acid and Omega-3 fatty acids, are believed to enhance cognitive performance when compared to traditional low-fat diets4.  Overall, greater adherence to Mediterranean diets has been linked to lower risks of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease5.

DASH Diet: The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet was developed in the 1990s as a non-medicative way to lower high blood pressure. While both the Mediterranean and the DASH diet emphasize plant-based foods, the DASH diet places stricter limits on sodium and total fat. Both diets limit processed foods and added sugars6. Beyond hypertension benefits, the DASH diet has been shown to improve the relationship between cognitive functions and physical movement among study participants, both in speed and precision5. Strong psychomotor function helps older adults maintain independence, allowing them to drive safely and lowering their risk of falls.

MIND Diet food pyramid

MIND Diet: Blending the two former dietary patterns forms the most neuroprotective approach: the MIND, or Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, Diet. It combines the healthy fat sources of olive oil and fish, with highlights of specific produce, like berries and dark leafy greens for antioxidants. This eating pattern is associated with the lowest risk of Alzheimer’s disease and overall cognitive decline compared to the Mediterranean or DASH diets alone5.

Frailty:

Cognitive decline often goes hand-in-hand with frailty within the older adults of a population7.  Each condition exacerbates the symptoms of the other. To promote both brain and body health, here are five ways older adults can lower their risk of becoming frail:

  1. Ensure you are eating protein with every meal: Women need about 46 grams per day, and men about 568. Canned beans, cottage cheese, yogurt and eggs are convenient ways to get the protein necessary to maintain your muscle mass.
  1. Eat enough Calcium and Vitamin D: Calcium maintains bone density and prevents osteoporosis. Vitamin D aids your body in absorbing the calcium you consume. Adults over 70 are most at risk for calcium deficiency due to their body’s declining ability to absorb it. Adequate calcium is even more important for post-menopausal women, as declining estrogen levels accelerate bone breakdown8. Besides your standard dairy products, leafy greens, sardines, tofu and fortified plant milks can help you reach your recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 1,200 milligrams per day.
  1. Exercise, especially resistance training: Resistance training, which is any exercise involving pushing, pulling or lifting, places good stress on our bones and muscles that causes them to grow and become more dense. This counteracts muscle and bone loss that occurs as we age. It especially targets bones of the hips, spine and wrists, which are most susceptible to fractures10. Instructor-led strength training classes help older adults establish a consistent exercise routine while ensuring they perform movements correctly to reduce the risk of injury11. They also provide all the social benefits that come with a sustained community.
  1. Eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day: Apart from their plentiful nutrient content, phytochemicals within produce provide anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that lower your risk of developing frailty12.
  1. Limit processed foods: Meat products, packaged snack foods, sugar-sweetened beverages and fast food contribute to frailty by replacing nutrient-dense foods with ones that are nutritionally void. Diets high in processed food tend to lack high-quality protein, fiber and Vitamins A, C, D and E, which are essential to maintaining muscle mass13.

Eating for Brain Power

Overall, diets based on whole foods, especially fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and unsaturated fat sources like olive oil, are your best bet at feeling mentally and cognitively young. Some dietary patterns even have the incredible ability to lower your risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases, like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. The good news is that it is never too late. Even those struggling with such diseases can see improvements through dietary changes.

References:

  1. Xue Q. L. (2011). The frailty syndrome: definition and natural history. Clinics in geriatric medicine, 27(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cger.2010.08.009
  2. Lăcătușu, C. M., Grigorescu, E. D., Floria, M., Onofriescu, A., & Mihai, B. M. (2019). The Mediterranean Diet: From an Environment-Driven Food Culture to an Emerging Medical Prescription. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(6), 942. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16060942
  3. Santos, G. A. A., & Junior, M. R. M. (2025). The neuroprotective action of bioactive compounds as a strategy for preventing mild cognitive decline. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 21(Suppl 1), e102095. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz70855_102095
  4. Martínez-Lapiscina, E. H., Clavero, P., Toledo, E., Estruch, R., Salas-Salvadó, J., San Julián, B., Sanchez-Tainta, A., Ros, E., Valls-Pedret, C., & Martinez-Gonzalez, M. Á. (2013). Mediterranean diet improves cognition: the PREDIMED-NAVARRA randomised trial. Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry, 84(12), 1318–1325. https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2012-304792
  5. van den Brink, A. C., Brouwer-Brolsma, E. M., Berendsen, A. A. M., & van de Rest, O. (2019). The Mediterranean, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) Diets Are Associated with Less Cognitive Decline and a Lower Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease-A Review. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 10(6), 1040–1065. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmz054
  6. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2025, January 10). DASH eating plan. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/education/dash-eating-plan
  7. Shatenstein B. (2011). Frailty and cognitive decline: links, mechanisms and future directions. The journal of nutrition, health & aging, 15(8), 665–666. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-011-0337-5
  8. Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2026). Stay strong: Four ways to beat the frailty risk. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/stay-strong-four-ways-to-beat-the-frailty-risk
  9. Ji, M. X., & Yu, Q. (2015). Primary osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Chronic diseases and translational medicine, 1(1), 9–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdtm.2015.02.006
  10. Harvard Health Publishing. (2025, July). Strength training builds more than muscles. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/strength-training-builds-more-than-muscles
  11. Fragala, M. S., Cadore, E. L., Dorgo, S., Izquierdo, M., Kraemer, W. J., Peterson, M. D., & Ryan, E. D. (2019). Resistance Training for Older Adults: Position Statement From the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 33(8), 2019–2052. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003230
  12. Ni Lochlainn, M., Cox, N. J., Wilson, T., Hayhoe, R. P. G., Ramsay, S. E., Granic, A., Isanejad, M., Roberts, H. C., Wilson, D., Welch, C., Hurst, C., Atkins, J. L., Mendonça, N., Horner, K., Tuttiett, E. R., Morgan, Y., Heslop, P., Williams, E. A., Steves, C. J., Greig, C., … Robinson, S. (2021). Nutrition and Frailty: Opportunities for Prevention and Treatment. Nutrients, 13(7), 2349. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13072349
  13. Parlak Baskurt, H., & Yardımcı, H. (2025). Consumptıon of ultra-processed foods can accelerate age-related appearance of sarcopenıa. Biogerontology, 26(3), 112. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10522-025-10253-8

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