Long-term Swedish research suggests eating full-fat cheese and cream may be associated with lower dementia risk, challenging established dietary advice.
While the findings do not prove cause and effect, they suggest a significant association between certain high-fat dairy products and brain health.
A major long-term study has linked higher consumption of full-fat cheese and cream to a reduced dementia risk.
The research published in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, followed 27,670 adults with an average starting age of 58 for around 25 years. During the study period, 3,208 participants developed dementia.
While the findings do not prove cause and effect, they suggest a significant association between certain high-fat dairy products and brain health.
Emily Sonestedt, PhD, Lund University, Sweden, commented:
For decades, the debate over high-fat versus low-fat diets has shaped health advice, sometimes even categorizing cheese as an unhealthy food to limit.
Our study found that some high-fat dairy products may actually lower the risk of dementia, challenging some long-held assumptions about fat and brain health.”
High-fat cheese intake and dementia outcomes
Researchers examined the intake of high-fat cheeses, defined as containing more than 20 percent fat, including Cheddar, Brie and Gouda, as well as high-fat creams containing around 30 to 40 percent fat, such as whipping, double and clotted cream, typically sold as full-fat varieties.
Participants recorded their food intake over a week, answered questions about long-term eating habits and discussed food preparation methods with researchers. Those consuming 50g or more of high-fat cheese daily were compared with people eating less than 15g.
By the end of the study, 10 percent of participants consuming higher volumes of cheese had developed dementia, compared with 13 percent of those eating smaller amounts. After adjusting for age, sex, education and overall diet quality, the researchers found a 13 percent lower overall dementia risk among those with higher cheese consumption. The reduction was even greater for vascular dementia, at 29 percent.
The study also linked higher cheese consumption to a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease, but only among participants who did not carry the APOE e4 gene variant, a known genetic risk factor.
Cream consumption shows similar association
High-fat cream intake showed a similar association. People consuming 20g or more per day – roughly one to two tablespoons – had a 16 percent lower risk of dementia compared with those who consumed none.
Researchers reported no link between dementia risk and consumption of low-fat dairy, milk, butter or fermented products including yoghurt and kefir.
Sonestedt added:
These findings suggest that when it comes to brain health not all dairy is equal. While eating more high-fat cheese and cream was linked to a reduced risk of dementia, other dairy products and low-fat alternatives did not show the same effect. More research is needed to confirm our study results and further explore whether consuming certain high-fat dairy truly offers some level of protection for the brain.”
The researchers noted that all participants were based in Sweden, where cheese is commonly eaten uncooked, so results may differ in other markets. They called for further studies in other populations to confirm the findings.
