According to a new study, —one of the most beloved foods—now serves as a protector against dementia.
A team of researchers from Lund University in Sweden has found that consuming at least 50 grams of full-fat cheese daily reduces the risk of developing .
This extensive 25-year study involved nearly 30,000 adults living in Sweden. During the research, scientists discovered a statistically significant link between daily consumption of high-fat cheese and a decreased risk of dementia. However, according to the researchers, further studies are needed to fully understand this connection.
“For decades, debates over high-fat versus low-fat diets have shaped dietary recommendations, sometimes even classifying cheese as an unhealthy food to be limited. Our research shows that some high-fat dairy products may actually reduce the risk of dementia, challenging some established beliefs about the relationship between fats and brain health,” emphasized nutrition epidemiologist Emily Sonestedt, a co-author of the study.
Food and Cognitive Health
A few years ago, experts warned that by 2050, the number of dementia cases could rise to 153 million.
Due to the lack of effective treatments for dementia, researchers are trying to combat this challenging disease through proper nutrition.
Dairy products are one food group whose connection to dementia has been quite difficult to establish. For instance, studies conducted in Finland, the UK, and Japan examined various aspects of cheese consumption and found conflicting results regarding its link to dementia.
In the new study led by nutrition epidemiologist Yufen Du, scientists aimed to clarify these conflicting results.
The analysis was based on data from the long-term observational study “Diet and Cancer in Malmö,” which surveyed Swedish residents about their diets and tracked their health outcomes. Over a quarter of a century, dementia developed in 3,208 of the 27,670 participants.
At the outset, participants recorded their diets using a food diary, a questionnaire about the frequency of various foods, and detailed interviews about cooking methods and eating habits. Researchers also considered participants’ age, gender, education, and overall diet, as reported by Science Alert.
The researchers compared the risk of developing dementia among individuals based on their cheese consumption. They found that those who consumed more than 50 grams of full-fat cheese daily had a 13 percent lower risk of developing dementia compared to those who ate less than 15 grams daily.
No such association was found for low-fat cheese, cream, any type of , or fermented dairy products like yogurt and kefir. The results regarding butter consumption were mixed, even suggesting a possible increase in the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
The findings of the study were published in the journal Neurology.
Before you sit down at the holiday table and start indulging in cheese without restraint, heed the experts’ advice: to protect yourself from dementia, don’t rely solely on any one food.
It’s also important to remember that cheese is a high-calorie food that contains a lot of saturated fats and salt. Overindulging in cheese can lead to obesity, increased cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure. People with gastrointestinal, kidney, and cardiovascular issues should minimize cheese in their diets.
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