An intriguing study on dementia prevention was carried out by a large team from leading institutions in Japan, including Niigata University, the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Tohoku University, and the Japan Agency for Gerontological Research.
The researchers found that eating cheese as little as once a week can lower the risk of developing dementia.
How did the team reach this conclusion?
The scientists examined nearly 8,000 volunteers: about half did not eat cheese, while the other half ate it at least once a week. The team also accounted for participants’ overall diets—how much fruit, vegetables, meat, or fish they consumed—as reported by the Daily Mail.
After three years, the researchers found that, despite differences in overall diet, people who ate cheese had a 24 percent lower risk of developing dementia compared with those who didn’t eat cheese.
In an article published in the journal Nutrients, the researchers wrote, “Our results align with previous data suggesting that dairy products may play a supportive role in the prevention of dementia.”
The most commonly consumed cheese among participants was processed cheese, similar to cream cheese (for example, Philadelphia). The second most popular was soft, white-rind cheeses such as Camembert or Brie.
The team suggested the protective effect may come from cheese’s nutrients. They pointed out that cheese is rich in protein, essential amino acids, vitamin K2, antioxidants, peptides (short chains of amino acids), and probiotics.
According to the scientists, protein and essential amino acids “support neurons” by protecting them from damage. Vitamin K2 is important for vascular health and for maintaining stable calcium levels in the blood. Antioxidants, peptides, and probiotics have previously been linked to better cognitive function.
A previous study in Japan had already suggested cheese might help prevent dementia. Researchers who followed the health and diets of more than 1,500 people aged 65 and older found that those who regularly ate cheese performed best on cognitive tests.
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Dementia, a syndrome of persistent cognitive impairment, affects more than 55 million people worldwide. About 70 percent of those cases are the most severe form—Alzheimer’s disease.
Dementia is the seventh leading cause of death among older adults globally. Researchers estimate that one-third of people with dementia remain undiagnosed.
Classic symptoms include memory loss, slowed thinking, reduced mental sharpness, and difficulties with speech, comprehension, judgment, and mood. Recently, scientists have found that changes in vision, hearing, taste, touch, and balance can signal the development of dementia several years before more familiar symptoms appear.
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