Wholegrains reduce the risk of dementia

Alzheimer's affects one in six people in Britain over the age of 80, yet there remains no cure. The best fightback available is thought to be living a healthy lifestyle, and core to that is a good diet.

The MIND diet, or Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, is believed to be one of the best ways to ensure we’re eating the right things to protect against the onset of the disease.

Inspired by the two diets - the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diet - MIND puts a focus on eating unprocessed foods, 'good' sources of fat and keeping salt intake down. It also suggests incorporating wholegrains three times a day, attempting to incorporate one source of it into each meal.

Wholegrains are, quite literally, the whole of the grain. In other words, wholegrain hasn't been split like refined grains, where the bran and germ are typically removed. Wholegrain is, instead, intact and offers far higher levels of nutrients.

Each wholegrain is comprised of three key components, a fibre-rich outer layer called bran, a nutrient-rich middle layer called the germ and a starch-rich inner layer called endosperm.

Various wholegrains provide different nutrients, but as a general rule they each contain heart-healthy fats, fibre and minerals, so as well as helping to delay the onset of dementia, they can also help tackle heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes.

In tandem with wholegrains, the MIND diet advocates a vegetable-rich diet along with olive oil, lean meat and fish, berries, nuts, beans and a single glass of red wine (because its rich in antioxidants).

There are a variety of wholegrains you can easily add to meals, including barley, brown rice, brown pasta, buckwheat, bulgur wheat or cracked wheat, millet, oatmeal, popcorn and whole wheat bread. Other foods often available in a wholegrain format include cereals, pittas, crackers, oat cakes, muesli and flour.