Health

Brain Health Challenge: Try the MIND Diet

Published

3 months ago

January 7, 2026

Brain Health Challenge: Try the MIND Diet

Welcome to Day 2 of the Brain Health Challenge. Today, we’re talking about food.

Your brain is an energy hog. Despite comprising about 2 percent of the average person’s body mass, it consumes roughly 20 percent of the body’s energy. In other words, what you use to fuel yourself matters for brain health.

So what foods are best for your brain?

In a nine-year study of nearly 1,000 older adults, researchers at Rush University in Chicago found that people who ate more of nine particular types of food — berries, leafy greens, other vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, fish, poultry and olive oil — and who ate less red meat, butter and margarine, cheese, sweet treats and fried food had slower cognitive decline.

Based on these findings, the researchers developed the MIND diet.

Large studies encompassing thousands of people have since shown that following the MIND diet corresponds with better cognitive functioning, a lower risk of dementia and slower disease progression in people with Alzheimer’s. People benefit from the diet regardless of whether they start it in midlife or late life.

Experts think the foods included in the MIND diet are especially good for the brain because they contain certain macro and micronutrients.

Berries and leafy greens, for example, are rich in polyphenols and other antioxidants, said Jennifer Ventrelle, a dietitian at Rush and a co-author of “The Official Mind Diet.” Many of these compounds can cross the blood-brain barrier and help to fight inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which can damage cells and are linked to dementia.

Nuts and fatty fishes, like salmon and sardines, contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for building the insulating sheaths that surround the nerve fibers that carry information from one brain cell to another.

Whole grains and beans both contain a hefty dose of fiber, which feeds the good microbes in the gut. Those microbes produce byproducts called short-chain fatty acids that experts think can influence brain health via the gut-brain axis.

You don’t have to revamp your whole diet to get these nutrients. Instead, think about “MIND-ifying” whatever you already tend to eat, said Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist at NYU Langone Health and the founder and chief medical officer of the telehealth platform Isaac Health. For instance, add a handful of nuts or berries to your breakfast.

Today’s activity will help you MIND-ify your own meals. Share your choices with your accountability partner and in the comments, and I’ll discuss the ways I’m adjusting my diet, too. For added inspiration, check out these MIND-approved recipes from New York Times Cooking.

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Health

Americans wait overnight for access to free healthcare as costs soar ‘out of reach’

Published

57 minutes ago

April 11, 2026

Press Room

Americans wait overnight for access to free healthcare as costs soar ‘out of reach’

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The Trump administration’s recent pullback on health insurance has left fewer Americans with coverage.

For the uninsured, being treated for certain conditions may be out of the question due to high costs.

This has led some Americans to wait multiple days, some even sleeping overnight in their cars, to seek free free healthcare from volunteer clinics like Remote Area Medical (RAM).

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The Tennessee-based nonprofit organization, founded in 1985, employs volunteer healthcare professionals to treat Americans without insurance at no cost.

In a recent episode of CBS News’ 60 Minutes, host Scott Pelley spoke with people waiting to be brought into the clinic.

Medical professionals from all around the U.S. volunteer their time at Remote Area Medical (RAM) clinics. (Remote Area Medical)

In February, Sandra Tallent drove 200 miles from Huntsville, Alabama, to RAM’s pop-up clinic in Knoxville, Tennessee, to have her teeth examined.

SIMPLE BRUSHING ROUTINE COULD REDUCE DEMENTIA RISK, DENTAL HEALTH EXPERTS SAY

She arrived at the clinic site at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday and spoke to Pelley from her car at 5 a.m. Friday, after sleeping for two nights in the parking lot.

Pelley asked, “If you didn’t have RAM, how would you get your teeth taken care of?” Tallent responded, “I wouldn’t.”

Some Americans have been waiting hours and even sleeping overnight in their cars to be seen by a doctor. (iStock)

Tallent was later seen by a dental expert and had dentures created in RAM’s 3D denture-printing lab.

Connor Gibson, a 22-year-old engineer, uses computer design to get the job done in just about an hour, according to the report. This is a process that can typically take weeks.

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“We see grown men cry sitting in the chair,” Gibson told 60 Minutes, describing what it’s like for patients to see themselves with a new set of teeth for the first time.

This includes Tallent, who looked in the mirror and smiled with tears in her eyes, expressing her gratitude.

Remote Area Medical clinic volunteers and patients are pictured at the center in Tennessee. RAM has recently expanded its services to include women’s health exams, general wellness check-ups and sports physicals. (Remote Area Medical)

In an interview with Fox News Digital, RAM CEO Chris Hall shared how their clinics pop up and move across the country to expand access for more Americans.

“All of our services are provided free of cost to patients on a first come, first serve basis,” he said. “And we do that through our team of dedicated volunteers and professionals that come from all around the county.”

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RAM provides cleanings, fillings and extractions, as well as comprehensive eye exams and access to an eyeglass lab that can manufacture eyewear and dentures, according to Hall.

About 60% of patients seek dental care, he said, and about 30% to 35% seek vision care.

RAM provides cleanings, fillings and extractions, as well as comprehensive eye exams and access to an eyeglass lab that can manufacture eyewear and dentures. (iStock)

RAM has recently expanded its services to include women’s health exams, general wellness check-ups and sports physicals.

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In 2008, RAM held about 10 to 12 events per year. Today, it has grown to 90 full-scale operations, with events happening nearly every weekend, Hall shared.

Hall said the demand for medical care has been consistent for the last 20 years. Even for some patients who have insurance, the out-of-pocket premiums and deductibles can be “out of reach.”

Chris Hall, CEO of Remote Area Medical, describes the operation as “inspiring, yet heartbreaking.” (Remote Area Medical)

“The communities that we go into, the patients who are coming through our door, these are working-class people,” Hall said.

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“Whether we’re doing events in rural Appalachia or downtown Los Angeles, the patients who are coming … they’re just isolated and do not get the care that they need,” he added.

Hall said he’s heard “heartbreaking” stories from patients who have put off medical care to keep the lights on in their homes and provide food for their families.

Angelica Stabile is a lifestyle reporter for Fox News Digital.

Health

Marriage status has surprising link to cancer risk, study suggests: ‘Clear signal’

Published

13 hours ago

April 11, 2026

Press Room

Marriage status has surprising link to cancer risk, study suggests: ‘Clear signal’

Marriage linked to lower cancer risk, study finds

Dr. Namrata Vijayvergia, a medical oncologist, shares insights into recent studies on health and lifestyle, explaining why marriage correlates with lower cancer risk due to better social support and healthy behaviors.

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Adults who never married are significantly more likely to develop cancer, according to new research from the University of Miami.

A large study of more than 4 million Americans across 12 states found that this increased risk spans nearly every major cancer type. It is especially true for preventable cancers, such as types caused by smoking and infection.

Men who never married were found to have a 70% higher likelihood of cancer than their married counterparts. For women, that gap was even wider, with never-married individuals facing an 85% higher risk.

EATING MORE OF CERTAIN TYPE OF FOOD COULD SHORTEN CANCER SURVIVORS’ LIVES, STUDY FINDS

Previous research has linked marriage to better survival rates after a diagnosis, but this is one of the first studies to show that marital status could be a major indicator of whether a person will develop cancer in the first place.

“These findings suggest that social factors such as marital status may serve as important markers of cancer risk at the population level,” study co-author Paulo Pinheiro, a research professor of epidemiology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said in a press release.

Adults who never married are significantly more likely to develop cancer, according to new research from the University of Miami. (Getty Images)

Between 2015 and 2022, the team examined cancer cases diagnosed at age 30 or older and compared the rates of various cancers to the marital status of participants. They then broke down the data by sex and race and adjusted for age.

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Adult men who were never married had approximately five times the rate of anal cancer compared to married men, the study found.

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Adult women who were never married had nearly three times the rate of cervical cancer compared to women who were or had been married.

“It’s a clear and powerful signal that some individuals are at a greater risk,” Frank Penedo, director of the Sylvester Survivorship and Supportive Care Institute at the University of Miami, said in the release.

For women, being married (and often, by extension, having children) was associated with lower risks of ovarian and endometrial cancers. (iStock)

For women, being married (and often, by extension, having children) was associated with lower risks of ovarian and endometrial cancers, likely due to hormonal and biological factors associated with pregnancy, according to the researchers.

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Experts stressed that these findings do not mean marriage alone can protect against cancer.

“It means that if you’re not married, you should be paying extra attention to cancer risk factors, getting any screenings you may need, and staying up to date on healthcare,” Penedo said.

Experts stressed that these findings do not mean marriage alone can protect against cancer. (iStock)

The researchers also hypothesized that people who smoke less, drink less and take better care of themselves may be more likely to get married, meaning other factors could influence the findings.

More research is needed to confirm the outcome, they noted.

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The study was published in the journal Cancer Research Communications.

Khloe Quill is a lifestyle production assistant with Fox News Digital. She and the lifestyle team cover a range of story topics including food and drink, travel, and health.