Consuming full-fat cheese and cream may be associated with a lower risk of developing dementia, according to a long-term study in Sweden.
The investigation, published in the magazine Neurologyindicates that those who regularly consumed high-fat dairy products, such as Cheddar, Brie, Gouda and high-fat cream cheeses, were less likely to develop dementia over several decades of follow-up than those who ate little or nothing.
The study followed 27,670 adults in Sweden, with an average age of 58 years at entry into the research. Participants were followed for around 25 years, during which time 3,208 people were diagnosed with dementia.
At the beginning of the study, participants recorded everything they ate over the course of a week, answered detailed questionnaires about their diet in previous years and discussed food preparation methods with the researchers.
Study results
The researchers found that those who ate at least 50 grams of full-fat cheese per day (about two slices of Cheddar) were less likely to develop dementia than those who consumed less than 15 grams per day.
Full-fat cheeses were defined as having more than 20 percent fat, while high-fat cream was typically 30 to 40 percent.
After adjusting for factors such as age, sex, education level and overall diet quality, higher cheese consumption was associated with a 13 percent lower risk of dementia.
“When we looked at specific types of dementia, we found a 29 percent lower risk of vascular dementia among people who consumed the most full-fat cheese,” explained Emily Sonestedt, nutritional epidemiologist at Lund Universityin Sweden, and lead author of the study.
“We also observed a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease, but only among those who did not have the APOE e4 genetic variant, a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.”
Daily consumption of high-fat cream was also associated with a lower risk of dementia. Those who consumed at least 20 grams per day (about one to two tablespoons) had a 16 percent lower risk compared to those who did not.
Not all dairy products have shown benefits
The associations were not found in all dairy products.
“Although higher-fat cheese and cream are associated with a lower risk of dementia, other dairy products and lean alternatives have not shown the same effect. Therefore, not all dairy products are created equal when it comes to brain health,” Sonestedt said.
Study limitations
Despite the results, experts caution that the study does not prove a causal link between high-fat dairy products and a lower risk of dementia.
Richard Oakley, from the Alzheimer’s Society, highlighted that lifestyle factors such as physical activity, a balanced diet, stopping smoking and moderate alcohol consumption have a much more important role.
“Research does not show that eating more high-fat dairy products, such as cheese or cream, can reduce the risk of developing dementia,” he said.
“Evidence shows that stopping smoking, maintaining physical activity, following a healthy and balanced diet, controlling chronic diseases and drinking less alcohol play a much more important role in reducing the risk of dementia than focusing on a single food.”
Tara Spires-Jones, director of the Center for Discovery Brain Sciences in Edinburgh, pointed out another limitation: the participants’ diet was measured only once, 25 years before dementia diagnoses were analyzed.
“It’s very likely that diet and other lifestyle factors have changed over the 25 years,” he said, adding that overall lifestyle continues to be the key factor in brain health.
“There is robust evidence across the field that healthy eating, regular exercise and cognitively stimulating activities can strengthen the brain’s resilience,” he added.
“There is no solid evidence that any single food protects against dementia.”
