DASH diet across adulthood links to better late-life brain health

In 892 participants from the Singapore Chinese Health Study, researchers tracked adherence to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet from midlife to later life. They examined diet quality at ages 44–55 and 61–73 alongside brain imaging and cognitive assessments at ages 68–82. Higher DASH adherence across both periods was associated with better late-life verbal memory. Midlife adherence tracked with greater white matter volume in association tracts, which mediated 12.3% of the verbal memory link. Early-elderhood adherence was linked to lower white matter hyperintensities and reduced grey matter free water, with cortical free water mediating 12.5% of the memory link. Participants who improved adherence over time showed better verbal memory and brain integrity than those with persistently low adherence.