5 is your lucky number of fruits and veggies to live longer, but not all of them count

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN

Updated 1005 GMT (1805 HKT) March 1, 2021

An estimated 47 million people globally have Alzheimer's disease, and that number is projected to triple by 2050. There is no cure or real treatment, but studies show and according to the Alzheimer's Association, there are some things you can do to keep memory loss at bay: exercise, education, not smoking, reducing the impact of chronic conditions such as diabetes, getting adequate sleep, staying socially engaged, learning new things, taking care of your mental health and eating a healthy diet. One effort in particular, diet, is getting some renewed interest from scientists.
Photos: The MIND diet prevents memory loss and may prevent Alzheimer's
An estimated 47 million people globally have Alzheimer's disease, and that number is projected to triple by 2050. There is no cure or real treatment, but studies show and according to the Alzheimer's Association, there are some things you can do to keep memory loss at bay: exercise, education, not smoking, reducing the impact of chronic conditions such as diabetes, getting adequate sleep, staying socially engaged, learning new things, taking care of your mental health and eating a healthy diet. One effort in particular, diet, is getting some renewed interest from scientists.
Hide Caption
1 of 18
The Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, known as the MIND diet, is a brain-friendly eating plan developed by researchers at Rush University in Chicago and Harvard's School of Public Health in Boston. Since most people experience some kind of memory loss as they age, even if they don't suffer from Alzheimer's, it's not a bad diet for anyone who hopes to live long into old age.
Photos: The MIND diet prevents memory loss and may prevent Alzheimer's
The Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, known as the MIND diet, is a brain-friendly eating plan developed by researchers at Rush University in Chicago and Harvard's School of Public Health in Boston. Since most people experience some kind of memory loss as they age, even if they don't suffer from Alzheimer's, it's not a bad diet for anyone who hopes to live long into old age.
Hide Caption
2 of 18
The diet, driven by medical research, is a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH diets, both of which have been shown to have a positive impact on full body and brain health. The MIND diet may be a little bit simpler to follow than the other two as you have to eat less fruit and fish. In an observational study, people who stuck closest to eating the MIND diet <a href="https://www.rush.edu/news/press-releases/new-mind-diet-may-significantly-protect-against-alzheimers-disease" target="_blank">saw a 53% lower risk of developing Alzheimer's</a>, even people who ate the MIND diet most (instead of "all") of the time saw a 35% reduction in developing the disease. It's a result that is considered "significant."
Photos: The MIND diet prevents memory loss and may prevent Alzheimer's
The diet, driven by medical research, is a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH diets, both of which have been shown to have a positive impact on full body and brain health. The MIND diet may be a little bit simpler to follow than the other two as you have to eat less fruit and fish. In an observational study, people who stuck closest to eating the MIND diet saw a 53% lower risk of developing Alzheimer's, even people who ate the MIND diet most (instead of "all") of the time saw a 35% reduction in developing the disease. It's a result that is considered "significant."
Hide Caption
3 of 18
The MIND diet suggests eating at least one serving of fish a week. In contrast, <a href="http://www.uhs.wisc.edu/health-topics/healthy-lifestyle/documents/Mediterranean.pdf" target="_blank">the Mediterranean diet</a> suggests eating more like 2-3 servings a week. Salmon, considered a "superfood," gives you a high dose of omega-3 fatty acids which studies show lower the risk of heart disease and fight inflammation. <a href="http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/omega3.htm" target="_blank">Earlier studies</a> showed it also reduces anxiety.
Photos: The MIND diet prevents memory loss and may prevent Alzheimer's
The MIND diet suggests eating at least one serving of fish a week. In contrast, the Mediterranean diet suggests eating more like 2-3 servings a week. Salmon, considered a "superfood," gives you a high dose of omega-3 fatty acids which studies show lower the risk of heart disease and fight inflammation. Earlier studies showed it also reduces anxiety.
Hide Caption
4 of 18
Carbs are allowed on this diet, particularly of the whole grain variety. You should have three servings a day. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25559238" target="_blank">Earlier studies </a>have shown a connection between high fiber consumption and <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/27/health/cereal-long-life/">living a long life</a>.
Photos: The MIND diet prevents memory loss and may prevent Alzheimer's
Carbs are allowed on this diet, particularly of the whole grain variety. You should have three servings a day. Earlier studies have shown a connection between high fiber consumption and living a long life.
Hide Caption
5 of 18
A glass of wine a day is allowed on the MIND diet. Wine is a good source of antioxidants, which is also good for your heart health. <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/red-wine/art-20048281" target="_blank">Resveratol in red wine</a> may also help prevent damage to blood vessels.
Photos: The MIND diet prevents memory loss and may prevent Alzheimer's
A glass of wine a day is allowed on the MIND diet. Wine is a good source of antioxidants, which is also good for your heart health. Resveratol in red wine may also help prevent damage to blood vessels.
Hide Caption
6 of 18
Poultry is on the MIND diet menu, two or more servings a week. Stick with baked, grilled or broiled, but skip the fried.