An intriguing study focused on preventing was conducted by a large team of researchers from leading scientific institutions in Japan. Among them are Niigata University, the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Tohoku University, and the Japan Agency for Gerontological Research.
The researchers assert that consuming just once a week can reduce the risk of developing dementia.
How did the team reach this conclusion?
The scientists examined nearly 8,000 volunteers, half of whom did not consume cheese, while the other half ate it at least once a week. The team also considered the dietary habits of the participants, such as the amount of fruits, vegetables, meat, or fish consumed, as reported by Daily Mail.
After three years of the study, the researchers found that despite the varying dietary habits of the participants, those who consumed cheese had a 24 percent lower risk of developing dementia compared to those who did not eat this product.
In an article published in the journal Nutrients, the researchers stated, “Our results align with previous data suggesting that dairy products may play a supportive role in the prevention of .”
The most commonly consumed type of cheese among participants was processed cheese, similar to cream cheese like “Philadelphia.” The second most popular was soft cheese with a white rind, such as Camembert or Brie.
The team suggested that the protective effect of cheese may be attributed to its nutritional composition. They noted that cheese is rich in proteins, essential amino acids, vitamin K2, antioxidants, peptides (the building blocks of proteins), and probiotics.
According to the scientists, proteins and essential amino acids “support neurons” by protecting them from damage. Meanwhile, vitamin K2 is crucial for vascular health and calcium homeostasis (maintaining stable calcium levels in the blood). The effects of antioxidants, peptides, and probiotics have previously been linked to improved cognitive abilities.
Interestingly, the authors of a previous study, also conducted in Japan, had already suggested that cheese consumption helps prevent dementia. Researchers who monitored the health and dietary habits of over 1,500 individuals aged 65 and older found that those who regularly ate cheese performed best on cognitive tests.
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Dementia, which medical professionals refer to as a syndrome of persistent cognitive impairment, affects over 55 million people worldwide. Of these, about 70 percent suffer from the most severe form of dementia—Alzheimer’s disease.
Dementia ranks seventh among the leading causes of death among older adults globally. Alarmingly, researchers estimate that one-third of people with dementia remain undiagnosed.
Classic symptoms of the disease include memory problems, slow thinking, diminished sharpness of mind, issues with speech, comprehension, judgment, and mood. Recently, scientists have discovered that changes in vision, hearing, taste, touch, and balance can signal impending dementia, occurring several years before more commonly recognized symptoms appear.
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