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E-Newsletter • September 2026 |
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Editor's E-Note
Food as Medicine
Food as Medicine is a hot topic, whether clinicians and clients are looking to use food as a primary or adjunct tool for preventing, managing, or treating disease. One Food as Medicine focus has been on the MIND diet for preventing or delaying dementia, but the early promise from observational research hasn’t been matched by clinical trial data. In this month’s E-News Exclusive, we look at why there’s a discrepancy and how to interpret it, as well as what future research may hold and what the MIND diet example suggests not just about protecting cognitive health but about Food as Medicine in general.
After reading the article, visit TD’s website at www.TodaysDietitian.com to read the digital edition of our July/August issue, featuring our cover story, “Reframing Maintenance After Weight Loss Medications,” which addresses how to help patients and clients who have stopped taking GLP-1 medications for weight loss, whether by choice or necessity. You’ll also find features on family-based treatment for pediatric eating disorders, the “athlete paradox” of glucose and insulin impairments in highly trained athletes, and highlights from our fun and intellectually stimulating 13th Annual Spring Symposium.
Please enjoy the E-Newsletter and give us your feedback at TDeditor@gvpub.com, and don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter.
— Carrie Dennett, MPH, RDN, editor |
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| In This E-Newsletter
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Nuance in “Food as Medicine”: What Recent Research Reveals About the MIND Diet and Brain Health
By Carrie Dennett, MPH, RDN
“Food as Medicine” has become a major paradigm in preventive health care, and for good reason. While food is not literally medicine, evidence does support nutrition as an important tool in the prevention, management, and sometimes treatment of numerous health conditions. Cognitive health has been one food-as-medicine focus, often centered on the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet, which was designed to merge brain-boosting aspects of the Mediterranean and DASH eating patterns.
However, while early observational studies found benefits of the MIND diet for dementia protection,1,2 2023 randomized clinical trial data provided more nuanced—and initially disappointing—results.3 This evolution in the research highlights both the promise and the complexity of “Food as Medicine.”
From Early Promises to Reality Check
Developed in 2015 by nutritional epidemiologist Martha Clare Morris, ScD, and colleagues at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, initial cohort studies found that high adherence to the MIND diet—which is rich in leafy greens, berries, nuts, beans, and fish—was associated with not just slowed cognitive decline1 but also up to a 53% lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Even moderate adherence showed an Alzheimer’s disease risk reduction of about 35%, generating excitement in public health.2 Among the proposed biological mechanisms were that the diet’s richness in polyphenols from berries and lutein/folate from leafy greens reduced oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, while lower intake of saturated and trans fats protected cerebral microvasculature.
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Bariatric Surgery Significantly More Effective Than GLP-1 Drugs for Weight Loss and Disease Remission
Metabolic and bariatric surgery delivers significantly greater weight loss and higher rates of obesity-related disease remission than glucagonlike peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s), according to one of the largest and most comprehensive real-world comparisons of the two treatments. The findings were presented in May at the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Annual Meeting.
The systematic review and real-world analysis of 30 clinical studies involving more than 430,000 patients found that while both treatments produced meaningful results, metabolic and bariatric surgery consistently exceeded GLP-1 drugs across every outcome measured. The research was conducted by investigators from Yale School of Medicine, Coreva-Scientific, Vanderbilt University, and UT Health San Antonio.
Dementia Prevention Can’t Rely on Individual Choices Alone, New Study Finds
Efforts to prevent dementia may be placing too much responsibility on people’s choices while overlooking the wider social and environmental conditions that shape brain health, according to new Curtin University research published in The Lancet Public Health.
Researchers mapped 61 potentially modifiable dementia risk and protective factors to assess whether prevention efforts are overlooking the broader social, environmental, and policy influences that shape lifelong brain health. The study revealed a strong emphasis on factors addressed through individual motivation and behavior change, despite many dementia risks being influenced by conditions beyond a person’s direct control.
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Fast FODMAP Lookup & Learn
This app, which is touted as the fastest way to look up whether a food is high, medium, or low in FODMAPs, is useful for both dietitians and clients. Start typing a food and results appear as you type. There are also lists of foods by category. It even works offline. Other functions include a food and symptom diary, a weekly meal planner, educational resources, and the ability for clients to connect with their dietitian for diary review. It is free to download and highly rated. |
In the September/October Issue
• Savor San Antonio Cuisine
• The Emerging Role of Metabolic Psychiatry
• Nutrition Support for Traumatic Brain Injury
• Culinary Sports Nutrition |
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COVER STORY
Reframing Maintenance After Weight Loss Medications
Most next-generation antiobesity medications like GLP-1 receptor agonists are recommended for long-term use, yet discontinuation is common. Discover practical tips alongside easy, delicious recipes to support patients who may encounter transition challenges.
FEATURE
The Athlete Paradox
Despite being metabolically healthy, some highly trained athletes show glucose or insulin impairments. Learn what this “athlete paradox” means for cardiometabolic health, recovery, adaptation, and long-term performance sustainability.
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