This page is alzhub.org's plain-English summary of a published study, not the paper itself. It is generated from the record we hold for this study, sourced and linked below — check the original for the full text and methods.

58/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 58 out of 100. Prevention trials

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

In the UK Biobank cohort (N = 166,916), MIND diet demonstrated the broadest neuroprotective effects. Over a median follow-up of 10·5 years, 1870 participants were diagnosed with dementia, 980 with PD, 3121 with stroke, 5113 with depression, and 5697 with anxiety. Adherence to the MIND diet was significantly associated with a reduced risk of dementia (hazard ratio [HR] = 0·87, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0·77-0·98), stroke (HR = 0·89, 95% CI = 0·81-0·98), depression (HR = 0·77, 95% CI = 0·71-0·82), and anxiety (HR = 0·82, 95% CI = 0·76-0·88), but not PD (HR = 0·94, 95% CI = 0·80-1·11). In the HRS (n = 4496) and CLHLS (n = 9099) validation cohorts, the MIND diet remained significantly associated with lower risks of depression and anxiety, as well as better cognitive performance (in HRS: better cognitive function (β = 0·78, 95% CI = 0·47-1·10), fewer depressive symptoms (β = -0·22, 95% CI = -0·39 to -0·06), and fewer anxiety symptoms (β = -0·40, 95% CI = -0·78 to -0·02); in CLHLS: lower odds of cognitive impairment (odds ratio [OR] = 0·45, 95% CI = 0·37-0·55), depression (OR = 0·44, 95% CI = 0·38-0·52), and anxiety (OR = 0·49, 95% CI = 0·41-0·60)). In contrast, the intake of UPF was associated with an increased risk for dementia (HR = 1·40, 95% CI = 1·25-1·56), PD (HR = 1·26, 95% CI = 1·08-1·47), depression (HR = 1·42, 95% CI = 1·34-1·50), and anxiety (HR = 1·26, 95% CI = 1·19-1.33) in the UK Biobank cohort. Mechanistically, multi-omics analyses revealed that the MIND diet's protective effects were mediated through several key pathways. A favourable metabolic signature explained a substantial proportion of the reduced risk for stroke (proportion mediated = 60·63%), depression (38·97%), and anxiety (26·06%). Furthermore, slower biological ageing significantly mediated the reduced risk of dementia (19·40%). A structural equation model confirmed the overall protective pathway linking the MIND diet to better brain health via these mediators. Conversely, higher UPF intake was found to increase brain disease risk through detrimental changes in these same metabolic, and ageing pathways. This study supports the MIND diet as a promising intervention for promoting brain health and mitigating neuropsychiatric disorders, while highlighting UPF intake as a significant modifiable risk factor. By identifying specific metabolic, inflammatory, and ageing-related biological pathways, our findings provide potential targets for future research and targeted interventions. Howe

Key findings

In the UK Biobank cohort (N = 166,916), MIND diet demonstrated the broadest neuroprotective effects.
Over a median follow-up of 10·5 years, 1870 participants were diagnosed with dementia, 980 with PD, 3121 with stroke, 5113 with depression, and 5697 with anxiety.
Adherence to the MIND diet was significantly associated with a reduced risk of dementia (hazard ratio [HR] = 0·87, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0·77-0·98), stroke (HR = 0·89, 95% CI = 0·81-0·98), depression (HR = 0·77, 95% CI = 0·71-0·82), and anxiety (HR = 0·82, 95% CI = 0·76-0·88), but not PD (HR = 0·94, 95% CI = 0·80-1·11).
In the HRS (n = 4496) and CLHLS (n = 9099) validation cohorts, the MIND diet remained significantly associated with lower risks of depression and anxiety, as well as better cognitive performance (in HRS: better cognitive function (β = 0·78, 95% CI = 0·47-1·10), fewer depressive symptoms (β = -0·22, 95% CI = -0·39 to -0·06), and fewer anxiety symptoms (β = -0·40, 95% CI = -0·78 to -0·02); in CLHLS: lower odds of cognitive impairment (odds ratio [OR] = 0·45, 95% CI = 0·37-0·55), depression (OR = 0·44, 95% CI = 0·38-0·52), and anxiety (OR = 0·49, 95% CI = 0·41-0·60)).
In contrast, the intake of UPF was associated with an increased risk for dementia (HR = 1·40, 95% CI = 1·25-1·56), PD (HR = 1·26, 95% CI = 1·08-1·47), depression (HR = 1·42, 95% CI = 1·34-1·50), and anxiety (HR = 1·26, 95% CI = 1·19-1.33) in the UK Biobank cohort.

Why it matters

In this prospective multi-cohort study, adherence to the MIND diet was significantly associated with reduced risk of dementia, stroke, depression, and anxiety but not Parkinson's disease, while intake of ultra-processed food was associated with increased risk for dementia, Parkinson's disease, depression, and anxiety. These are associations from observational cohorts, not proof that diet prevents or treats Alzheimer's disease.

New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Prevention →

Study details

Study designprospective cohort
Participants166,916
Evidence strengthHigh

How this study scored 58/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a prospective cohort study, followed forward from enrollment. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (EClinicalMedicine)
Journal's citation record	2 / 4	EClinicalMedicine: journal h-index 150 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	7 / 12	A prospective cohort study, followed forward from enrollment
Strength of evidence	5 / 5	Rated “high” in our summary
Peer-review validation	10 / 10	Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal.
How recent	4 / 5	2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	4 / 4	166,916 participants
Effect reported	0 / 3	No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Studied in people	3 / 3	Studied in people (participant count stated)
Randomised / blinded	0 / 2	No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	2 / 7	Cited 12 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	2 / 5	4.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025
Impact for its field and year	4 / 6	Cited 10.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	0 / 6	No other study in this library cites it
Still being cited	1 / 4	Cited 12 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	2 / 4	Last-listed author Guoen Cai: h-index 21 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	0 / 3	Fujian Medical University: institution h-index 277 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	1 / 3	OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41245532)
Free to read	2 / 2	Free to read
Total	58 / 100	—

What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →

Read the original

Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).

Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.

APA 7th

Shi, Y., Lin, Y., Zheng, Y., Yu, X., Ou, B., Yang, K., et al. (2025). Association between different dietary patterns and the risk of major brain disorders: a prospective multi-cohort study. EClinicalMedicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2025.103616

Vancouver

Shi Y, Lin Y, Zheng Y, Yu X, Ou B, Yang K, et al. Association between different dietary patterns and the risk of major brain disorders: a prospective multi-cohort study. EClinicalMedicine. 2025. doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2025.103616. PMID: 41245532.

BibTeX

@article{shi2025-41245532,
  author  = {Shi, Yisen and Lin, Yixiang and Zheng, Yiling and Yu, Xinyang and Ou, Binfan and Yang, Kaitai and Lin, Fabin and Zou, Xinyang and others},
  title   = {{Association between different dietary patterns and the risk of major brain disorders: a prospective multi-cohort study}},
  journal = {EClinicalMedicine},
  year    = {2025},
  doi     = {10.1016/j.eclinm.2025.103616},
  pmid    = {41245532},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2025.103616}
}

Studies this one cites

Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 15.

Related studies in Prevention trials

Also tagged “biobank”

1,084 studies in the library carry the topic tag “biobank”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 1,084 tagged studies.

Similar studies

More on Prevention trials

See all studies in Prevention trials →