Key Takeaways
- A long-term study found that people who ate more high-fat cheese and cream had a lower risk of dementia.
- The study found no link between dementia risk and low-fat dairy, milk, butter, or fermented dairy products like yogurt.
- Experts say the findings are observational and do not outweigh existing guidance to limit saturated fat and focus on overall healthy lifestyle habits.
Full-fat dairy is having its day in the sun. After years of promoting low- or no-fat options, new dietary guidelines now recommend choosing full-fat dairy, although still advising people to keep saturated fat under 10% of their daily calories.
Amid the push for full-fat dairy, a recent study in the journal Neurology linked eating high-fat cheese and cream to a lower risk of dementia. The findings have drawn media attention, in part because health experts rarely highlight the benefits of high-fat foods.
However, experts say the new research isn’t strong enough to suggest people should start eating more high-fat dairy.
Study Links High-Fat Cheese and Cream to Lower Dementia Risk
The Neurology study is the longest and largest to date to examine a potential link between high-fat dairy intake and dementia risk.
Researchers at Lund University in Sweden analyzed data from 27,670 people with an average age of 58 and followed them for about 25 years.
Researchers compared dementia diagnoses among participants who ate at least 50 grams of high-fat cheese (about two slices) per day with those who ate less than 15 grams per day. High-fat cheeses, defined as having more than 20% fat, include cheddar, Brie, and Gouda.
The participants who ate more high-fat cheese had a 13% lower risk of dementia than those who ate less. Those who ate more high-fat cheese also had a 29% lower risk of vascular dementia, a form of dementia caused by damage to blood vessels in the brain, often from small strokes over time.
People who ate 20 grams of high-fat cream (about 1.4 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream) each day also showed a 16% lower risk of dementia than those who consumed none.
Why Might High-Fat Cheese Benefit the Brain?
Some cheeses are rich in vitamin K2, a nutrient linked to blood vessel health. Because vascular health is linked to dementia risk, it’s reasonable to hypothesize a connection between high-fat cheese and dementia risk, said Michelle King Rimer, MPH, MS, RDN, a clinical assistant professor in the College of Public Health at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, who’s not affiliated with the study.
“However, this study did not test mechanisms, so the findings remain speculative rather than confirmed,” Rimer said.
Related Stories
Low-Fat Dairy and Milk Showed No Impact on Brain Health
Somewhat surprisingly, the researchers found no association between dementia risk and consuming low-fat cheese or cream, high- or low-fat milk, butter, or fermented dairy products such as yogurt, kefir, or buttermilk.
The researchers said they are not sure why high-fat cheese and cream may be linked to a lower dementia risk. Some possible explanations include differences in fat content, nutrients, and the food matrix, which can vary between high-fat and low-fat dairy products.
“These findings suggest that when it comes to brain health, not all dairy is equal,” said Emily Sonestedt, PhD, an author of the study and a senior lecturer in nutrition epidemiology at Lund University, in a statement. “More research is needed to confirm our study results and further explore whether consuming certain high-fat dairy truly offers some level of protection for the brain.”
Major Limitations of the Study
The researchers also noted several limitations. The study included only participants from Sweden, meaning the findings may not apply to people in other countries. In Sweden, cheese is more commonly eaten cold, while in the United States it is often heated—such as in macaroni and cheese—or paired with meat, which could affect the results.
The neuroprotective benefits may also reflect other factors such as an overall healthier diet, a healthier lifestyle, better general health, or other variables the study did not measure.
It’s also worth noting that the participants’ diets were assessed only once during the first week of the study in 1991, followed by an interview the second week. The researchers then relied on a follow-up questionnaire with a subset of participants after five years to evaluate dietary changes.
Can Cheese Actually Protect Your Brain?
While certain nutrients in cheese might have brain health benefits, it’s important to consider the entire nutritional package, Rimer said. “High-fat dairy contains saturated fat, and decades of research support recommendations to limit saturated fat intake due to its impact on LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular disease risk,” she added.
Evidence increasingly shows that a mix of healthy lifestyle habits may do more to protect brain health than changing diet alone, said Lycia Neumann, PhD, MPA, senior director of Health Services Research at the Alzheimer’s Association.
Neumann said the “recipe” to reduce dementia risk involves a combination of regular physical activity, better nutrition, cognitive and social engagement, and routine health monitoring. The MIND diet, which is recommended as part of the approach, focuses on foods such as dark leafy greens, berries, nuts, whole grains, olive oil, and fish, while limiting sugar and unhealthy fats.
Research has consistently linked the MIND diet to a lower risk of cognitive decline and dementia, she added.