The so-called DASH diet is intended to lower blood pressure and is considered particularly healthy for the heart. A current study now shows that the diet is also optimal for our brain. What’s behind it and how does the DASH diet work?
A recent study examined six diets to see how they affect the cognitive function in the brain impact. One form of nutrition performed particularly well.
Study: Which diet is best for the brain?
Table of Contents
A large US study from 2026 used the health data of 159,347 women and men to examine the effects of different diets on the cognitive function of the brain. The following diets were examined:
- Alternative Healthy Eating Index: A measure of how well your diet meets current scientific recommendations for healthy eating.
- DASH diet: A diet specifically designed to reduce high blood pressure.
- Healthy Plant-based Diet Index: Rates how healthy a plant-based diet is.
- Planetary Health Diet: A diet that is good for your health and has as little impact on the environment as possible.
- Reversed Empirical Dietary Indices For Hyperinsulinemia: Measures how much your diet affects insulin levels
- Inflammatory pattern: Measures how much your diet promotes inflammation in the body.
The study participants who adhered to one of the diets (regardless of which one) had one better objectively measurable cognitive function as well as one lower risk of subjective cognitive decline (SCD) observed.
SCD refers to a person’s subjective feeling that memory or other mental abilities are declining, even though no measurable deficits can be objectively identified. It can be the first sign of Alzheimer’s or dementia.
However, one diet stood out: Those who stuck to the DASH diet as strictly as possible were up to 41 percent less likely to have memory problems. This was particularly true for people between 45 and 54.
Results confirm study from 2023
Another American study came to similar results in 2023: The scientists analyzed the data from 5,116 women and assessed their subjective cognitive complaints. The Symptoms were lower in middle-aged women who followed the DASH diet than those who adhered to the diet less strictly.
What exactly is the DASH diet anyway?
The DASH diet (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) is not a time-limited diet, but one permanent diet. As the name suggests, the diet was developed for people with high blood pressure.
The DASH diet is characterized by one high proportion of plant-based foods and fiber as well as low saturated fatty acids, cholesterol, salt and sugar out of.
According to the DASH diet, you should eat these foods every day:
- Lots of vegetables: Take advantage of all the seasonal diversity.
- In particular, green leafy vegetables: zB Kohl, Brokkoli, Spinat
- Whole grain products: e.g. whole grain bread, hearty oat flakes
- Fruit: Apples, pears, oranges, strawberries
- Legumes: Beans, chickpeas, lentils
- Nuts and seeds: Flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, peanuts
- Healthy fats and oils: Olive oil, nuts, hemp and linseeds, fish with lots of omega-3 fatty acids (e.g. herring, salmon, tuna or mackerel)
- Low-fat dairy products: Yoghurt, Quark, Skyr
You should avoid these foods:
- Salt: Instead of salt, you can use fresh herbs or spices.
- Hydrogenated vegetable fats or trans fatty acids: They are found in baked goods such as croissants, but also in highly processed foods such as chips, ready meals, fast food and fried foods.
- Animal and saturated fatty acids: They should be avoided because they promote calcification of the arterial blood vessels.
- Zucker: High sugar consumption is linked to diseases such as tooth decay, overweight, liver disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
According to the 2026 study mentioned above, the most important factors that were associated with better cognitive function include: high consumption of vegetables and fish as well as one low consumption of red and processed meat, fried/fried potatoes and sugary drinks.
By the way: You will definitely feel full with the DASH diet because your calorie intake is not reduced.
What can the DASH diet look like in everyday life?
If you want to follow the DASH diet, your meal plan might look something like this:
Breakfast:
- Oatmeal with apple & nuts
-
Natural yogurt with berries
- Wholemeal bread with avocado
- Oatmeal with banana
- Yogurt with nuts and honey
-
Smoothie (berries, banana, oatmeal)
- Wholemeal rolls with egg and tomato
Midday:
- Whole grain bread with hummus, cucumber and tomato
-
Lentil soup with whole grain bread
- Salad with chickpeas & olive oil
- Whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce & vegetables
-
Quinoa salad with vegetables
- Vegetable wrap with hummus
- Vegetable stew
Abend:
- Salmon with broccoli and potatoes
- Vegetable pan (peppers, zucchini) with rice
-
Oven vegetables with a little feta
- Steamed fish and spinach
-
Vegetable omelette with whole grain bread
- Grilled fish or vegetarian alternative and salad
- Light salad with nuts
Utopia.de recommends: lots of vegetables, little fish
The DASH diet is not just for people with high blood pressure. Those who eat appropriately in their 40s and 50s are likely to have a lower risk of memory problems later in life. Lots of vegetables and fish and at the same time as little red and processed meat, fatty potato products and sugary drinks as possible increase the chances of good cognitive function in old age.
Basically, this corresponds to common nutritional recommendations and sounds obvious. However, there is a catch: the consumption of fish. Many species are overfished, nets destroy the seabed, and bycatch and ghost nets in the sea endanger entire ecosystems. There are repeated reports about pollutants and microplastics in fish. Aquaculture does not solve these problems either.
If you still want to eat fish, you should definitely look at which fish you can still eat in 2026 – or rely on omega-3 from plant sources.
Please read our health information.
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