A recent study published in the "Neurology" journal suggests that consuming high-fat cheese and full-fat cream may be linked to a lower risk of dementia.
4 common breakfast habits may weaken the brain and increase the risk of dementia
The study did not prove a direct causal relationship, but showed a correlation between the consumption of these products and reduced disease risk.
Consuming full-fat cheese may support brain health
High-fat cheese contains over 20% fat and includes types such as Cheddar, Brie, and Gouda, while high-fat cream contains 30–40% fat and includes heavy whipping cream, double cream, and clotted cream, often labeled in stores as "full-fat" or "regular products".
Emily Sonestedt, PhD, from Lund University in Sweden, said: "For many years, debates over high-fat and low-fat diets have influenced health advice, and cheese has sometimes been described as a food to be limited, but our study showed that some high-fat dairy products may reduce the risk of dementia, challenging some old assumptions about fats and brain health."
Study Design and Participants
Researchers analyzed data from 27,670 people in Sweden, with an average age of 58 at the start of the study, and followed them for an average of 25 years, during which 3,208 people developed dementia.
Participants tracked what they ate for a week and answered questions about the frequency of consuming certain types of food in previous years, and discussed food preparation methods with researchers.
Researchers compared people who consumed 50 grams or more of high-fat cheese daily with those who consumed less than 15 grams.
After adjusting the results according to age, gender, education, and diet quality, it was found that consuming high-fat cheese was associated with a 13% lower risk of developing dementia compared with those who consumed less.
For vascular dementia, the risk reduction was greater, reaching 29% among those who consumed more high-fat cheese.
For Alzheimer's disease patients, a reduced risk was only observed among those who did not carry the "APOE e4" gene variant.
As for high-fat cream, it was found that consuming 20 grams or more daily was associated with a 16% lower risk of dementia compared to not consuming it.
No correlation was observed between the risk of dementia and the consumption of low-fat cheese, low-fat cream, milk, butter, or fermented dairy products such as yogurt and kefir.
Sonestedt stated: "These results indicate that not all dairy products are equal in terms of brain health. Although high-fat cheese and cream were associated with a decreased risk of dementia, other products or low-fat alternatives did not show the same effect. Further studies are needed to confirm these results and explore whether some high-fat dairy products offer actual brain protection."
She added that the study only included participants in Sweden, and the results may differ in other countries such as the United States, where cheese is often heated or eaten with meats, whereas it is mostly consumed fresh in Sweden.
