Khaberni - A long-term study conducted by researchers at Lund University in Sweden revealed that regularly consuming full-fat cheese might be linked to a reduced risk of dementia as people age, a finding that challenges some common perceptions about fats and brain health.
According to the study, individuals who eat at least 50 grams of uncooked full-fat cheese daily, which is approximately equivalent to two slices, have up to 13% lower chances of developing dementia. The results also showed that consuming 20 grams or more of cream daily was associated with a 16% reduction in risk.
Conversely, the study recorded no significant effect of low-fat dairy products on the likelihood of developing dementia, neither increasing nor decreasing it, nor did it detect a clear relationship between the risk and consumption of other dairy products, such as milk, butter, or yogurt.
Researcher Emily Sonestedt from Lund University noted that the ongoing debate for decades about high-fat versus low-fat diets has sometimes contributed to cheese being classified as an unhealthy food that should be consumed less, pointing out that the study results offer a different perspective that merits further research.
The researchers based their study on analyzing health and dietary data spanning 25 years for about 28,000 people in Sweden, more than 3,200 of whom developed dementia during the follow-up period. Participants logged details of their dietary patterns and meal preparation methods, allowing the researchers to link dietary intake to long-term health outcomes.
The team clarified that full-fat cheese is categorized as containing 20% fat or more, while cream is considered low-fat if its fat content is below 30%.
Commenting on the results, Sonestedt emphasized that some high-fat dairy products might play a potential role in supporting brain health, but she also stressed the need for additional studies, especially in countries like the United States where cheese is often consumed melted or with meats.
The researchers pointed out that these benefits were not observed in individuals who carry the genetic variant "APOE e4," known for its association with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, suggesting that genetic factors remain influential in this context.
