Mediterranean-blood pressure lowering diet (MIND) may slow structural brain ageing

 

The combined Mediterranean and blood pressure lowering diet (MIND) may slow the structural changes related to brain ageing, finds research published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. 

 

This diet is associated with less tissue loss over time, especially grey matter—the brain’s information processing hub, with a key role in memory, learning, and decision-making—and less ventricular enlargement, which reflects brain atrophy, where tissue loss is accompanied by the enlargement of cerebrospinal fluid-filled spaces.

 

The Mediterranean–Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet Intervention for

Neurodegenerative Delay diet, or MIND for short, has previously been linked to better cognitive health, note the researchers. 

 

The diet recommends the regular consumption of particular food groups: green leafy vegetables; other vegetables; berries; nuts; whole grains; fish; beans; olive oil; and poultry, plus a moderate intake of wine. And it recommends limiting intake of butter/margarine, cheese, red meat, pastries/sweets, and fried fast foods.

 

But it’s not clear what effect this diet may have on age-related structural changes in the brain which are associated with neurodegenerative disease, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, explain the researchers.

 

To explore this further, they focused on 1647 middle aged and older adults (average age 60 at the start of the study) from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort (FOS). All of them had regular health check ups every 4–8 years, with MRI brain scan assessments every 2–6 years from 1999 onwards.

 

They also completed at least 1 food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) at their check-ups between 1991–5, 1995–8, and/or 1998–2001 to assess dietary intake. And they had at least 2 brain MRI scan assessments between 1999 and 2019 with no evidence of a stroke or dementia by the time of their first MRI scan.

 

Their average MIND diet score was just under 7 out of a possible 15, where 15 indicates the highest level of adherence. Those in the top third of adherence were more likely to be women and college educated, and less likely to be current smokers or living with obesity.  

 

And fewer of them had health issues likely to affect brain health, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease. 

 

During an average monitoring period of 12 years, reductions in total brain, grey matter, white matter, and hippocampal volumes, alongside increased cerebrospinal fluid, ventricular volumes, and white matter hyperintensities—bright spots indicative of tissue damage—were evident on the MRI scans of all the participants.

 

But higher MIND diet scores were associated with slower grey matter shrinkage/loss. Each 3 point increase was associated with slower (0.279 cm³/year) loss, equivalent to 20% less age-related decline and 2.5 years of delayed brain ageing.

 

Similarly, each 3-point increase in MIND diet score was associated with slower expansion of total ventricular volume by −0.071 cm³/year, equivalent to 8% less tissue loss and 1 year of delayed brain ageing.

 

The primary dietary contributors to the observed beneficial associations included berries, which were associated with slower increases in ventricular volumes, and poultry, also associated with slower increases in ventricular volumes and a slower decline in grey matter. 

 

On the other hand, higher intake of sweets was associated with faster ventricular expansion and hippocampal atrophy, while fried fast foods were also linked to a greater decline in hippocampal volume. 

 

“MIND-recommended foods rich in antioxidants, such as berries,and high-quality

protein sources like poultry may reduce oxidative stress and mitigate neuronal damage,” suggest the researchers.  “Conversely, fried fast foods, often high in unhealthy fats, trans fats, and advanced glycation end-products, may contribute to inflammation and vascular damage,” they add.

 

Unexpectedly, higher whole grain intake was associated with unfavourable structural changes, including faster declines in grey matter and hippocampal volume, and faster ventricular expansion, while higher cheese intake was associated with slower reductions in grey matter and hippocampal volume and less ventricular enlargement and fewer bright spots.

 

The associations found were consistent across a series of further analyses and stronger in older participants, suggesting that this diet may be more beneficial in those at higher risk of faster brain ageing, or who exhibit larger variation in the rate of brain atrophy, say the researchers.

 

Stronger associations were also observed for those who were more physically active and who weren’t overweight or obese, suggesting that combined lifestyle strategies might help to lower the risk of neurodegenerative disease, they add.

 

This is an observational study, and as such, no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect, and the researchers acknowledge that food frequency questionnaires are subject to recall bias. And the researchers weren’t able to exclude mild cognitive impairment at the time of the first MRI scan, changes in dietary habits over time, or genetic risk factors.

 

As the participants were predominantly White, the findings might not apply to other ethnicities, they point out.

 

Nevertheless, they conclude: “These findings reinforce the potential of the MIND diet as a brain-healthy dietary pattern and support its role in strategies aimed at slowing  neurodegeneration in ageing populations.”

 

No evidence to suggest medicinal cannabis is effective for depression, anxiety or PTSD

  

A landmark Lancet paper published today – the largest-ever review of the safety and efficacy of cannabinoids across a range of mental health conditions – found no evidence that medicinal cannabis is effective in treating anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

The study comes amid findings that 27 percent of people aged 16–65 in the United States and Canada have used cannabis for medical purposes, with about half using it to manage their mental health. 

The study’s lead author, Dr Jack Wilson at the University of Sydney’s The Matilda Centre, said the results call into question the approval of medicinal cannabis for the treatment of depression, anxiety and PTSD. 

“Though our paper didn’t specifically look at this, the routine use of medicinal cannabis could be doing more harm than good by worsening mental health outcomes, for example a greater risk of psychotic symptoms and developing cannabis use disorder, and delaying the use of more effective treatments,” he said.  

The research found evidence to suggest that medicinal cannabis could potentially be beneficial for some conditions – such as the treatment of cannabis use disorder (otherwise known as cannabis dependency), autism, insomnia, and tics or Tourette’s syndrome. 

Dr Wilson said: “But the overall quality of evidence for these other conditions, such as autism and insomnia, was low. In the absence of robust medical or counselling support, the use of medicinal cannabis in these cases are rarely justified.  

“There is, however, evidence that medicinal cannabis may be beneficial in certain health conditions, such as reducing seizures associated with some forms of epilepsy, spasticity among those with multiple sclerosis, and managing certain types of pain, but our study shows the evidence for mental health disorders falls short. 

“In the case of autism specifically, while the study showed some evidence medicinal cannabis could assist with a reduction in symptoms, it is worth noting that there is no one – or universal – experience of autism, so this finding should be treated with caution.” 

The study found that medicinal cannabis was not effective for every type of substance-abuse disorder. While medicinal cannabis may help with cannabis dependence, it was found to increase cocaine cravings among people with cocaine-use disorder 

“Similar to how methadone is used to treat opioid-use disorder, cannabis medicines may form part of an effective treatment for those with a cannabis-use disorder. When administered alongside psychological therapy, an oral formulation of cannabis was shown to reduce cannabis smoking,” Dr Wilson said.  

“However, when medicinal cannabis was used to treat people with cocaine-use disorder, it increased their cravings. This means it should not be considered for this purpose and may, in fact, worsen cocaine dependence,” he said.  

Researchers urge greater regulation for prescribing of medicinal cannabis 

The rapid expansion in medicinal cannabis use and prescribing rates has raised concerns among major medical bodies, including the American Medical Association about the largely unregulated growth in prescribing and the uncertainty surrounding the efficacy and safety of these products. 

“Our study provides a comprehensive and independent assessment of the benefits and risks of cannabis medicines, which may support clinicians to make evidence-based decisions, helping to ensure patients receive effective treatments while minimising harm from ineffective or unsafe cannabis products,” Dr Wilson said. 

The systematic review and meta-analysis included results from 54 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published over a 45 year period (1980-2025) worldwide. 

Gut health supplement relieves arthritis pain

 

A new study has found that a prebiotic fibre supplement reduced pain, improved grip strength, and lowered pain sensitivity in people with knee osteoarthritis (OA) - with far fewer dropouts than a digital physiotherapy programme.

The INSPIRE clinical trial, led by experts at the University of Nottingham, showed that taking a daily supplement of inulin- a natural dietary fibre found in chicory root, Jerusalem artichokes and other vegetables – significantly reduced pain in people with OA.

The results, which are published in the journal Nutrients, suggest that improving gut health could be a promising new approach to managing one of the most common and debilitating chronic conditions in older adults.

Knee OA affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide and is a leading cause of pain and disability, particularly in older adults. Current treatment options rely heavily on pain medications, which carry risks of side effects, or exercise programmes, which many patients struggle to maintain.

“This study raises the exciting possibility that a simple dietary change - adding a fibre supplement to your breakfast or yogurt - could meaningfully reduce pain and improve physical function,” said Dr Afroditi Kouraki, lead author of the study from the School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham.

The gut microbiome - the trillions of bacteria living in our digestive system, plays a wide-ranging role in people’s health, including how we experience pain. Inulin acts as a prebiotic, meaning it feeds beneficial gut bacteria. This leads to the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), particularly a compound called butyrate, which can influence inflammation and pain pathways throughout the body.

In the INSPIRE trial, participants who took inulin showed increased levels of both butyrate and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) — a hormone released by the gut that has been linked to pain regulation and muscle health. Higher GLP-1 levels were associated with improved grip strength, pointing to a possible gut-muscle connection that could open up exciting new avenues of research.

The six-week randomised controlled trial involved 117 adults with knee OA and tested four groups: inulin alone, digital physiotherapy-supported exercise (PSE) alone, a combination of both, and a placebo. Both inulin and physiotherapy independently reduced knee pain. However, inulin uniquely improved grip strength and reduced pain sensitivity, measures linked to how the nervous system processes pain, while physiotherapy did not.

Strikingly, the dropout rate for the inulin group was just 3.6%, compared to 21% for those in the physiotherapy group - suggesting that a daily dietary supplement may be easier for people to stick with than an exercise programme.

Dr Kouraki said: "Our findings suggest that targeting gut health with a prebiotic supplement is a safe, well-tolerated, and effective way to reduce pain in people with knee osteoarthritis. The very low dropout rate compared to the exercise group is also encouraging from a public health perspective — people were able to fit this supplement easily into their daily lives."

Senior author Professor Ana Valdes from the School of Medicine added: "The link we observed between GLP-1 and grip strength is particularly intriguing and points to a broader gut-muscle-pain axis that warrants further investigation. This could have implications not just for osteoarthritis, but for understanding how gut health influences ageing and physical resilience more broadly."

Professor Lucy Donaldson, Director of Research at Arthritis UK said: “The pain of arthritis can severely impact quality of life. Our recent lived experience survey showed that six  in ten people are living in pain most or all of the time due to their arthritis.

“Researchers are starting to explore the role of the gut microbiome in our experience of pain. This exciting preliminary research highlights how diet and physiotherapy can act in different ways to have benefits for people with arthritis. We know a variety and balance of healthy foods, including fibre, and regular physical activity matter, and we’re glad to be supporting research that explores how they work to help people with arthritis.”

The full study can be found here.

Loneliness and social isolation can take a toll on women's cognitive abilities

 The relationship between social connections and cognitive abilities is a complex one, particularly during the perimenopausal period when women transition from the reproductive period to menopause. A new study suggests that loneliness and social isolation are not only independently associated with subjective cognitive decline during perimenopause but also exhibit a joint relationship. Results of the study are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society.

Perimenopause, which typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 years, is a time of numerous changes because of a gradual ovarian decline and fluctuating estrogen levels. Common physical symptoms include hot flashes and sleep disturbances. Significant emotional and cognitive changes also occur, affecting a woman’s memory, attention, and processing speed.

Identifying women at high risk for subjective cognitive decline is of great public health significance for the early implementation of interventions to mitigate cognitive deterioration. In a new study involving more than 900 perimenopausal women, researchers sought to clarify the independent and joint associations of loneliness and social isolation with subjective cognitive decline in perimenopausal women. They defined loneliness as a subjective social experience reflecting a person’s dissatisfaction with existing social relationships and the perceived lack of emotional connection, while they described social isolation as an objective state characterized by a limited social network, infrequent social interactions, and reduced social participation.

Previous studies have demonstrated that both loneliness and social isolation are significant risk factors for a range of adverse health outcomes, including cognitive decline, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality, but their roles in perimenopausal women were not clear. Perimenopausal women already face a number of additional stressors on top of fluctuating hormone levels, including major life changes, such as children moving off to college, increased caretaker roles for aging parents, and possibly, changing occupational roles.

This new study specifically aimed to identify high-risk groups of subjective cognitive decline in perimenopausal women based on latent class analysis and further investigate the independent and joint associations of loneliness and social isolation with subjective cognitive decline. Doing so would promote healthy aging through early identification and intervention of cognitive deterioration.

Study results are published in the article “Independent and joint associations of loneliness and social isolation with subjective cognitive decline in perimenopausal women.”

“The findings of this study highlight the importance of psychosocial factors in cognitive health during the menopause transition and may inform the development of multidimensional psychosocial interventions targeting persons at risk for subjective cognitive decline during this time,” says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for The Menopause Society.

Eating more ultra-processed foods linked to poorer bone health

Extra servings of foods high in additives can increase risk of hip fractures

From flavored yogurts to frozen pizzas, breakfast cereals and instant oats, ultra-processed foods are convenient, often cheaper items designed for a quick bite. In recent years, excess consumption of these foods has also been linked to health risks such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer.

According to a new study from Tulane University, eating more ultra-processed foods may also be bad for your bones.

The study, published in The British Journal of Nutrition, found that those who ate more ultra-processed foods (UPFs) had lower bone mineral density and a higher risk of hip fractures.

People consumed, on average, about 8 servings of ultra-processed foods per day, according to the study, which involved more than 160,000 participants from the UK Biobank database. For every 3.7 extra servings eaten per day, the risk of hip fracture increased by 10.5%. While servings differ among food types, that amounts to a frozen dinner entree, a cookie and a soda.

“Our study cohort was followed for over 12 years, and we found that high intakes of ultra-processed foods were linked to a reduction in bone mineral density at several sites including key areas of the upper femur and the lumbar spine region,” said co-corresponding author Lu Qi, HCA Regents Distinguished Chair and professor at the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane University. “While recent studies have shown that ultra-processed food consumption can affect bone health, this is the first time this relationship has been examined directly in humans.”

Ultra-processed foods are industrially manufactured products made with high amounts of salt, sweeteners and unhealthy fats. They tend to be energy dense and contain little to no whole foods, which are foods free from additives that remain close to their original state. Ultra-processed foods are more commonly consumed in lower- and middle-class households, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and as of 2023, they accounted for approximately 55% of total calories consumed by youths and adults.

“Ultra-processed foods can be easily found on any trip to the grocery store, and these findings add to concerns of how they may affect our bone health,” Qi said.

The study found that the adverse relationship between ultra-processed foods and bone density was most apparent among those under the age of 65 and in people who are underweight (BMI less than 18.5).

Low BMI is a risk factor for bone health and may exacerbate the impacts of ultra-processed foods on bone density. The association may be stronger among those under the age of 65 because of a stronger digestive function that absorbs more of the unhealthy ingredients found in ultra-processed foods, Qi said.

This study builds on previous research examining links between ultra-processed foods consumption and bone health. A 2024 study found high intake of these foods was linked to increased risk of osteoporosis. A separate study of pregnant women and their children in in 2016 found that living closer to fast food outlets was associated with lower bone mineral content in infants.

“Our results are not surprising,” Qi said. “Ultra-processed foods have been consistently associated with various nutrition-related disorders and bone health depends on proper nutrition.”

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No evidence of benefit for ginkgo biloba in cognitive impairment; possible benefit in dementia

 

 An updated systematic review of dozens of studies finds that Ginkgo biloba may offer modest short-term improvements for people with dementia, but shows little to no benefit for individuals with subjective memory complaints, mild cognitive impairment, or multiple sclerosis-related cognitive problems. Across conditions, the supplement was not associated with an increased risk of serious harm compared to placebo.

The study represents one of the most comprehensive evaluations of Ginkgo biloba to date. It was conducted by an international team from the United States, United Kingdom, China, Singapore and Taiwan, and led by researchers at Georgetown University School of Medicine.

The team searched major medical databases and clinical trials registries through November 2024, identifying 82 studies involving 10,613 participants; more than half of the trials (52) were published in Chinese. The team also incorporated unpublished data from several studies. They published their updated review Feb. 5, 2026, in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

“As the population ages and rates of cognitive impairment and dementia continue to rise, rigorous evaluation of widely marketed and commonly used supplements such as Ginkgo biloba is essential to guide informed decisions,” said the lead author,  L. Susan Wieland, PhD, MPH, director of the Cochrane Complementary Medicine Field and adjunct professor in Georgetown's Department of Biochemistry and Cellular & Molecular Biology. 

The study’s senior author, Hakima Amri, PhD, professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology and director of Georgetown’s Integrative Medicine & Health Sciences program, underscored the importance of rigorous standards in evaluating complementary therapies. 

“Integrative approaches must be evaluated with the same scientific rigor as conventional treatments,” said Amri.

The review separately analyzed distinct populations: individuals with cognitive complaints but no formal diagnosis, people with multiple sclerosis and cognitive problems, those diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, and those diagnosed with dementia. 

Cognitive impairment involves problems with thinking, memory, learning or decision-making, and may include changes in mood or behavior. Dementia refers to more severe cognitive impairment that interferes with daily life and is most commonly caused by Alzheimer’s disease. Although certain medications may ease symptoms, no therapies have been proven to stop or reverse disease progression.

Researchers evaluated Ginkgo biloba compared to placebo, other therapies, and as an adjunct to conventional treatments. The primary comparison was to placebo.

For people diagnosed with dementia, treatment with Ginkgo biloba for six months may improve overall condition, cognitive function and the ability to perform daily activities compared to placebo. However, study results varied substantially, and many trials had methodological limitations, lowering confidence in the findings.

For individuals with mild cognitive impairment, use of Ginkgo biloba probably makes little or no difference at six months. For people with cognitive problems related to multiple sclerosis, the supplement likely provides no meaningful improvement in thinking skills at three months. Among individuals concerned about memory but without a diagnosis, evidence remains uncertain.

Across studies of mild cognitive impairment and dementia, there was probably little or no difference in overall or serious adverse events between Ginkgo biloba and placebo for up to 12 months. Few studies extended beyond six months in dementia, leaving long-term effects unclear.

“This review provides clarity for clinicians and patients navigating decisions about widely used herbal supplements,” said Amri. “Future studies in this field should expand to include the emerging novel clinical trial designs in order to answer targeted questions of efficacy and effectiveness. ” 

The last Cochrane review on Ginkgo biloba for cognitive impairment and dementia was published in 2009.

As interest in integrative health continues to grow, the authors say well-designed, longer-term trials will be critical to determining whether Ginkgo biloba has a meaningful role in the management of dementia and other cognitive disorders.

Large dogs emit carbon dioxide and ammonia at rates similar to humans

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image: 

These adorable furry scientists (small on the left; big on the right) accompanied their owners to have their impact on indoor air quality measured.

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Credit: Adapted from Environmental Science & Technology 2026, DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5c13324

Dogs come in all shapes and sizes: from giant fluffy Newfoundlands to tiny short-haired Chihuahuas. And many furry companions like to spend their days inside near their humans. An initial study published in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology reports that dogs — both big and small — impact indoor air quality. The researchers found that small active dogs produced more airborne particles, but larger animals released more microbes into the air than people did.

“Pets are part of our indoor environment. By quantifying what dogs add to indoor air, we can build more realistic indoor air quality and exposure models and better inform ventilation strategies — without blaming pets or discouraging pet ownership,” says Dusan Licina, the corresponding author of the study.

Owning a dog has been shown to boost a person’s mental health, but the effect on overall physical health is less clear. To explore one aspect of this, Licina and colleagues wanted to see how these animals impact indoor air quality — an especially important issue for pet owners who spend most of their time inside. The researchers measured airborne pollutants, including gases, particulate matter and microbes, released from small and large dogs in a controlled lab environment and compared them to emissions from human owners.

The team compared a group of four small dogs (all Chihuahuas) to a group of three large dogs (a Tibetan Mastiff, a Newfoundland and an English Mastiff). Each group was tested separately with an owner in the room, whose emissions were also measured separately. Results showed that:

• Large dogs emitted carbon dioxide and ammonia at rates similar to humans and at substantially higher rates than small dogs.
• Both small and large dogs released more airborne particulate matter (1 nanometer wide to 10 micrometer wide) than the owners, with the small dogs producing the most, which the researchers say is likely because they were most active during the experiments.
• Big dogs released the most bacteria and fungi into the air, and many of these microorganisms originated from an outdoor environment, which changed the indoor microbial composition in ways that humans don’t.

These findings indicate that dogs, especially big dogs, could impact household air quality at a level similar to or more than humans. Licina adds that the results also suggest dogs act as mobile transport vectors, carrying and redistributing particles and microbes from other environments into indoor spaces. In the future, the researchers plan to study emissions from other indoor pets, such as cats, rabbits and rodents.

The authors say that it’s important to start including pet emissions when designing ventilation and air quality control systems for healthier indoor environments, “not just for humans, but for the animals that live alongside them,” as they conclude in their paper.