Improving MIND Diet Adherence Through Culinary Medicine in Older Adults With Diabetes: Mirnova Ceide, MD, MS

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"If you have a patient who is interested in managing their diabetes beyond medications, this type of intervention could be really helpful not only for diabetes management, but also for their cognitive outcomes and mood outcomes. It addresses multiple risk factors at once."

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is recognized as one of 14 modifiable risk factors for dementia identified by the 2024 Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, and even prediabetes has been linked to cognitive decline and reduced brain volume.¹ Although the MIND diet has been associated with improved cognitive outcomes in older adults, adherence to such dietary patterns remains a persistent challenge in practice, prompting researchers to explore culinary medicine, an approach that pairs nutrition education with hands-on cooking skills, as a way to bridge that gap.

At the 2026 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC), held July 12-15, in London, United Kingdom, Mirnova Ceide, MD, MS, associate professor in The Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, presented pilot data from the Strengthening, Engaging, and Empowering Dyads Through Nutrition & Wellness (SEED) study.² The 5-week intervention, conducted in 16 older adults with T2DM, combined nutrition education, culinary demonstration, and social food tasting each week. Results showed significant improvements in MIND diet adherence (P = .027) and depressive symptoms (P = .031), though cognition and diabetes self-management scores did not change significantly.

In an interview with NeurologyLive^®, Ceide discussed the rationale behind pairing culinary skill-building with dietary counseling, noting that most patients are already aware of recommended dietary patterns but struggle to translate that knowledge into sustained behavior change. She highlighted participant retention as a key finding, with 15 of 16 enrollees completing the program and many requesting it continue afterward. Ceide also described the intervention as addressing multiple dementia risk factors simultaneously, including social isolation and depression, and outlined how the program's mobile kitchen model and use of trained medical students as instructors could support broader clinical implementation.

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REFERENCES
1. Ceide ME, Anfang S, Bhattiprolu A, et al. Implementing a culinary medicine intervention to promote the MIND diet in older adults with type 2 diabetes at risk for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Alzheimers Dement. 2025;21(Suppl 6):e107234. Published 2025 Dec 23. doi:10.1002/alz70860_107234
2. Ceide ME, Bhattiprolu A, Ilan I, et al. Preliminary Outcomes Of A Culinary Medicine Intervention To Promote MIND Diet Adherence In Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes. Presented at: 2026 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference; July 12-15; London, United Kingdom. Abstract #9880.