How to Protect Your Memory

There’s no one superfood that’s guaranteed to boost your brainpower. But plant-based diets that focus on whole, unprocessed food seem to be most protective against dementia, says Amit A. Shah, MD, a geriatrician at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix.

Research backs this up. A 2024 study published in the journal Annals of Neurology found that the MIND diet—Shah’s favorite—which is rich in produce, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fish, poultry, and healthy fats, slows brain aging. (You can get more MIND diet information, including recipes, at theofficialminddiet.com.)

The truth is, you don’t have to follow a specific plan. “If you focus on a heart-healthy diet and avoid junk food, you’re in good shape,” says Majid Fotuhi, MD, an adjunct professor at the Mind/Brain Institute at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and author of the forthcoming book “The Invincible Brain” (HarperCollins, 2026).

As part of your plan, he advises eating plenty of berries, leafy green vegetables, avocado, nuts, and fatty fish like salmon, which increase levels of a substance called brain-derived neurotrophic factor. “It’s a protein that’s like Miracle-Gro for your brain,” he says. You may want to include fermented foods such as Greek yogurt, Parmesan cheese, kefir, and sauerkraut in your diet as well. A study published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition in 2023 found that people who regularly put those kinds of foods on their dinner plates were less likely to go on to develop dementia.

And if you’re a coffee or tea drinker, go right ahead and enjoy your brew of choice, hot or iced. People who sip two to three cups of coffee plus two to three cups of tea a day have about a 28 percent lower risk of dementia, according to a 2021 review of dietary records. Bonus: Researchers found that this was also associated with a 32 percent lower risk of stroke.

But experts say it’s smart to limit alcohol to less than a drink a day. More than that is associated with an increased risk of dementia, according to a 2023 study published in JAMA Network Open. (And if you smoke, work at quitting. The habit is bad for your memory.)