{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T11:07:58Z","timestamp":1789729678183,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":56,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1789689600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Nutr."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Dietary patterns with lower inflammatory potential may support cognitive aging, but Mediterranean, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), Mediterranean\u2013DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND), and dietary inflammatory scores represent non-equivalent exposures, and observational findings have not been consistently confirmed in randomized trials. This scoping review mapped evidence linking whole-diet patterns and dietary inflammatory indices with cognitive aging, measured biological pathways, and clinical interpretation and potential nursing implications.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>PubMed, Embase, Web of Science Core Collection, and Scopus were searched from inception to 30 June 2026. Eligible studies evaluated dietary patterns or validated inflammatory indices in older adults or cohorts assessed in later life and reported cognitive, dementia, mechanistic, neuroimaging, neuropathological, or implementation outcomes. Evidence was synthesized narratively, with observational and interventional findings considered separately.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Thirty-eight reports were included: 27 longitudinal observational studies, seven randomized intervention reports, three cross-sectional biomarker or neuroimaging studies, and one\n                      <jats:italic>post hoc<\/jats:italic>\n                      analysis. Mediterranean- and MIND-oriented patterns and lower dietary inflammatory potential were recurrently associated with more favorable cognitive outcomes, but findings varied across definitions, populations, measures, and follow-up. Randomized evidence was mixed and not definitive. Fourteen reports measured inflammatory, proteomic, microbiome, neuroimaging, cerebrospinal-fluid, spectroscopy, or neuropathological outcomes, supporting selected biological links without establishing a complete diet-neuroinflammation-cognition pathway. No study evaluated a complete nurse-led or nurse-supported dietary pathway; the nursing framework is author-derived and untested.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The evidence is epidemiologically suggestive and biologically plausible, but does not establish that any specific diet prevents dementia. Dietary improvement may be incorporated into individualized multidomain risk reduction, provided that nutritional adequacy, frailty, cultural fit, affordability, and sustained adherence are addressed. Better-contrasted trials, temporally ordered mechanistic studies, and prospective implementation evaluations are needed.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fnut.2026.1952047","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T10:48:56Z","timestamp":1789728536000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Anti-inflammatory dietary patterns and cognitive aging in older adults: a scoping review of mechanistic, clinical, and nursing implications"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Chunli","family":"Dong","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences","place":["Jinan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jingya","family":"Tai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing, Shenyang Medical College","place":["Shenyang, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yitian","family":"Ma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing, Jining Medical University","place":["Jining, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yuchen","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing, Jining Medical University","place":["Jining, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Junxiao","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences","place":["Jinan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e105","DOI":"10.1016\/S2468-2667(21)00249-8","article-title":"Estimation of the global prevalence of dementia in 2019 and forecasted prevalence in 2050: an analysis for the global burden of disease study 2019","volume":"7","year":"2022","journal-title":"Lancet Public Health"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"572","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(24)01296-0","article-title":"Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the lancet standing commission","volume":"404","author":"Livingston","year":"2024","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1822","DOI":"10.1038\/s41591-019-0675-0","article-title":"Chronic inflammation in the etiology of disease across the life span","volume":"25","author":"Furman","year":"2019","journal-title":"Nat Med"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"157","DOI":"10.1038\/s41582-020-00435-y","article-title":"Neuroinflammation and microglial activation in Alzheimer disease: where do we go from here?","volume":"17","author":"Leng","year":"2021","journal-title":"Nat Rev Neurol"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1689","DOI":"10.1017\/S1368980013002115","article-title":"Designing and developing a literature-derived, population-based dietary inflammatory index","volume":"17","author":"Shivappa","year":"2014","journal-title":"Public Health Nutr"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1560","DOI":"10.3945\/jn.115.228718","article-title":"Development and validation of an empirical dietary inflammatory index","volume":"146","author":"Tabung","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Nutr"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5","DOI":"10.1038\/s41582-024-01036-9","article-title":"Diets to promote healthy brain ageing","volume":"21","author":"Charisis","year":"2025","journal-title":"Nat Rev Neurol"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e2427125","DOI":"10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2024.27125","article-title":"Anti-inflammatory diet and dementia in older adults with cardiometabolic diseases","volume":"7","author":"Dove","year":"2024","journal-title":"JAMA Netw Open"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1599","DOI":"10.1038\/s41380-023-01975-7","article-title":"Plasma proteins related to inflammatory diet predict future cognitive impairment","volume":"28","author":"Duggan","year":"2023","journal-title":"Mol Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3536","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tjnut.2025.08.018","article-title":"Mediterranean-dietary approaches to stop hypertension intervention for neurodegeneration delay (MIND) diet, circulating inflammatory biomarkers, and cognitive function: a prospective study","volume":"155","author":"Fei","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Nutr"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"669","DOI":"10.1186\/s12916-025-04488-y","article-title":"Mediterranean diet, gut microbiota, and cognitive decline in older adults with obesity\/overweight and metabolic syndrome: a prospective cohort study","volume":"23","author":"Ni","year":"2025","journal-title":"BMC Med"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"178","DOI":"10.1186\/s12974-026-03773-8","article-title":"MIND-NL diet adherence moderates the relation of low-grade systemic inflammation with neuroinflammatory metabolites and cognitive functioning: an exploratory cross-sectional study in older adults","volume":"23","author":"Remie","year":"2026","journal-title":"J Neuroinflammation"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"602","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa2302368","article-title":"Trial of the MIND diet for prevention of cognitive decline in older persons","volume":"389","author":"Barnes","year":"2023","journal-title":"N Engl J Med"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"583","DOI":"10.3233\/JAD-180468","article-title":"Dietary patterns and cognitive health in older adults: a systematic review","volume":"67","author":"Chen","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Alzheimer's Dis"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100291","DOI":"10.1016\/j.advnut.2024.100291","article-title":"The effect of whole-diet interventions on memory and cognitive function in healthy older adults\u2014a systematic review","volume":"15","author":"Ting\u00f6","year":"2024","journal-title":"Adv Nutr"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100184","DOI":"10.1016\/j.advnut.2024.100184","article-title":"The Mediterranean-dietary approaches to stop hypertension intervention for neurodegenerative delay (MIND) diet for the aging brain: a systematic review","volume":"15","author":"van Soest","year":"2024","journal-title":"Adv Nutr"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1599","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clnu.2024.04.039","article-title":"ESPEN guideline on nutrition and hydration in dementia\u2014update 2024","volume":"43","author":"Volkert","year":"2024","journal-title":"Clin Nutr"},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"143","DOI":"10.1186\/s12874-018-0611-x","article-title":"Systematic review or scoping review? Guidance for authors when choosing between a systematic or scoping review approach","volume":"18","author":"Munn","year":"2018","journal-title":"BMC Med Res Methodol"},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2119","DOI":"10.11124\/JBIES-20-00167","article-title":"Updated methodological guidance for the conduct of scoping reviews","volume":"18","author":"Peters","year":"2020","journal-title":"JBI Evid Synth"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"467","DOI":"10.7326\/M18-0850","article-title":"PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR): checklist and explanation","volume":"169","author":"Tricco","year":"2018","journal-title":"Ann Intern Med"},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"39","DOI":"10.1186\/s13643-020-01542-z","article-title":"PRISMA-S: an extension to the PRISMA statement for reporting literature searches in systematic reviews","volume":"10","author":"Rethlefsen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Syst Rev"},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"40","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jclinepi.2016.01.021","article-title":"PRESS peer review of electronic search strategies: 2015 guideline statement","volume":"75","author":"McGowan","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Clin Epidemiol"},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"520","DOI":"10.11124\/JBIES-22-00123","article-title":"Recommendations for the extraction, analysis, and presentation of results in scoping reviews","volume":"21","author":"Pollock","year":"2023","journal-title":"JBI Evid Synth"},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"912","DOI":"10.1002\/ana.20854","article-title":"Mediterranean diet and risk for Alzheimer\u2019s disease","volume":"59","author":"Scarmeas","year":"2006","journal-title":"Ann Neurol"},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"601","DOI":"10.3945\/ajcn.110.007369","article-title":"Adherence to a Mediterranean-type dietary pattern and cognitive decline in a community population","volume":"93","author":"Tangney","year":"2011","journal-title":"Am J Clin Nutr"},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"81","DOI":"10.1186\/s12916-023-02772-3","article-title":"Mediterranean diet adherence is associated with lower dementia risk, independent of genetic predisposition: findings from the UK biobank prospective cohort study","volume":"21","author":"Shannon","year":"2023","journal-title":"BMC Med"},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"638","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2009.1146","article-title":"Adherence to a Mediterranean diet, cognitive decline, and risk of dementia","volume":"302","author":"F\u00e9art","year":"2009","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"831","DOI":"10.1002\/alz.12077","article-title":"Adherence to a Mediterranean diet and cognitive function in the age-related eye disease studies 1 & 2","volume":"16","author":"Keenan","year":"2020","journal-title":"Alzheimers Dement"},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1263","DOI":"10.3945\/ajcn.112.051276","article-title":"Prospective study of dietary approaches to stop hypertension\u2013 and Mediterranean-style dietary patterns and age-related cognitive change: the Cache County study on memory, health and aging","volume":"98","author":"Wengreen","year":"2013","journal-title":"Am J Clin Nutr"},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"490","DOI":"10.1097\/EDE.0b013e318294a065","article-title":"Mediterranean diet and cognitive function in older age","volume":"24","author":"Samieri","year":"2013","journal-title":"Epidemiology"},{"key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"816","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jand.2012.02.023","article-title":"Mediterranean diet and cognitive decline in women with cardiovascular disease or risk factors","volume":"112","author":"Vercambre","year":"2012","journal-title":"J Acad Nutr Diet"},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1443","DOI":"10.1016\/j.exger.2013.10.002","article-title":"Mediterranean diet habits in older individuals: associations with cognitive functioning and brain volumes","volume":"48","author":"Titova","year":"2013","journal-title":"Exp Gerontol"},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"860","DOI":"10.1038\/mp.2014.79","article-title":"Dietary patterns and cognitive decline in an Australian study of ageing","volume":"20","author":"Gardener","year":"2015","journal-title":"Mol Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"630","DOI":"10.1001\/jamapsychiatry.2023.0800","article-title":"Association of the Mediterranean Dietary Approaches to stop hypertension intervention for neurodegenerative delay (MIND) diet with the risk of dementia","volume":"80","author":"Chen","year":"2023","journal-title":"JAMA Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"8","DOI":"10.1186\/s13195-022-00957-1","article-title":"MIND diet and the risk of dementia: a population-based study","volume":"14","author":"de Crom","year":"2022","journal-title":"Alzheimer's Res Ther"},{"key":"ref36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1015","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jalz.2015.04.011","article-title":"MIND diet slows cognitive decline with aging","volume":"11","author":"Morris","year":"2015","journal-title":"Alzheimers Dement"},{"key":"ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"8461","DOI":"10.1002\/alz.14277","article-title":"Association of MIND diet with cognitive decline among black and White older adults","volume":"20","author":"Agarwal","year":"2024","journal-title":"Alzheimers Dement"},{"key":"ref38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e209817","DOI":"10.1212\/WNL.0000000000209817","article-title":"Association of adherence to a MIND-style diet with the risk of cognitive impairment and decline in the REGARDS cohort","volume":"103","author":"Sawyer","year":"2024","journal-title":"Neurology"},{"key":"ref39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"174","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajcnut.2023.04.025","article-title":"MIND diet and cognitive function and its decline: a prospective study and meta-analysis of cohort studies","volume":"118","author":"Huang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Am J Clin Nutr"},{"key":"ref40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3644","DOI":"10.1002\/alz.12982","article-title":"The association of MIND diet with cognitive resilience to neuropathologies","volume":"19","author":"Wagner","year":"2023","journal-title":"Alzheimers Dement"},{"key":"ref41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e2381","DOI":"10.1212\/WNL.0000000000012973","article-title":"Diet inflammatory index and dementia incidence: a population-based study","volume":"97","author":"Charisis","year":"2021","journal-title":"Neurology"},{"key":"ref42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1187","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jalz.2017.04.004","article-title":"The association between an inflammatory diet and global cognitive function and incident dementia in older women: the women\u2019s health initiative memory study","volume":"13","author":"Hayden","year":"2017","journal-title":"Alzheimers Dement"},{"key":"ref43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"266","DOI":"10.1186\/s12916-023-02940-5","article-title":"Association of pro-inflammatory diet with increased risk of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer\u2019s dementia: a prospective study of 166,377 UK biobank participants","volume":"21","author":"Shi","year":"2023","journal-title":"BMC Med"},{"key":"ref44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e14390","DOI":"10.1002\/alz.14390","article-title":"Association between dietary inflammatory index score and incident dementia","volume":"21","author":"van Lent","year":"2025","journal-title":"Alzheimers Dement"},{"key":"ref45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2747","DOI":"10.1111\/jgs.19599","article-title":"Longitudinal association of inflammatory diets on cognition in older adults: insights from the oral\u2013gut\u2013brain axis","volume":"73","author":"Chou","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Am Geriatr Soc"},{"key":"ref46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1094","DOI":"10.1001\/jamainternmed.2015.1668","article-title":"Mediterranean diet and age-related cognitive decline: a randomized clinical trial","volume":"175","author":"Valls-Pedret","year":"2015","journal-title":"JAMA Intern Med"},{"key":"ref47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1318","DOI":"10.1136\/jnnp-2012-304792","article-title":"Mediterranean diet improves cognition: the PREDIMED-NAVARRA randomised trial","volume":"84","author":"Martinez-Lapiscina","year":"2013","journal-title":"J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"349","DOI":"10.3389\/fphys.2018.00349","article-title":"Effect of the NU-AGE diet on cognitive functioning in older adults: a randomized controlled trial","volume":"9","author":"Marseglia","year":"2018","journal-title":"Front Physiol"},{"key":"ref49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1218","DOI":"10.1136\/gutjnl-2019-319654","article-title":"Mediterranean diet intervention alters the gut microbiome in older people reducing frailty and improving health status: the NU-AGE 1-year dietary intervention across five European countries","volume":"69","author":"Ghosh","year":"2020","journal-title":"Gut"},{"key":"ref50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"600","DOI":"10.1186\/s12916-024-03815-z","article-title":"Effectiveness and feasibility of a theory-informed intervention to improve Mediterranean diet adherence, physical activity and cognition in older adults at risk of dementia: the MedEx-UK randomised controlled trial","volume":"22","author":"Jennings","year":"2024","journal-title":"BMC Med"},{"key":"ref51","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1186\/s40814-020-00738-3","article-title":"A mixed methods pilot randomised controlled trial to develop and evaluate the feasibility of a Mediterranean diet and lifestyle education intervention \u2018THINK-MED\u2019 among people with cognitive impairment","volume":"7","author":"McGrattan","year":"2021","journal-title":"Pilot Feasibility Stud"},{"key":"ref52","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e2920","DOI":"10.1212\/WNL.0000000000012067","article-title":"Mediterranean diet, Alzheimer disease biomarkers and brain atrophy in old age","volume":"96","author":"Ballarini","year":"2021","journal-title":"Neurology"},{"key":"ref53","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"361","DOI":"10.1093\/ajcn\/nqy275","article-title":"Associations of the Mediterranean diet with cognitive and neuroimaging phenotypes of dementia in healthy older adults","volume":"109","author":"Karstens","year":"2019","journal-title":"Am J Clin Nutr"},{"key":"ref54","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"449","DOI":"10.1212\/WNL.0000000000003559","article-title":"Mediterranean-type diet and brain structural change from 73 to 76 years in a Scottish cohort","volume":"88","author":"Luciano","year":"2017","journal-title":"Neurology"},{"key":"ref55","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1023","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jalz.2015.06.1888","article-title":"Mediterranean diet and preserved brain structural connectivity in older subjects","volume":"11","author":"Pelletier","year":"2015","journal-title":"Alzheimers Dement"},{"key":"ref56","first-page":"2255","article-title":"A 2 year multidomain intervention of diet, exercise, cognitive training, and vascular risk monitoring versus control to prevent cognitive decline in at-risk elderly people (FINGER): a randomised controlled trial","volume-title":"Lancet","author":"Ngandu","year":"2015"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Nutrition"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fnut.2026.1952047\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T10:48:58Z","timestamp":1789728538000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fnut.2026.1952047\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]]},"references-count":56,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fnut.2026.1952047"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fnut.2026.1952047","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-861X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-861X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]]},"article-number":"1952047"}}