A recent study found that people who regularly ate high-fat cheese had a significantly lower chance of developing dementia. The study, published in the medical journal Neurology, also links high-fat cream to better brain health.
Before you rush to the grocery store to load up on Brie and cream, however, there’s an important consideration to keep in mind: The study doesn’t prove that these products, in and of themselves, prevent dementia. Instead, “what cheese is eaten with, and what it replaces in the diet, may be as important as the cheese itself,” Dalia Perelman, MS, CDE, a research dietitian at Stanford Medicine, told Health.
Even though dementia is projected to become far more common, jumping from 57 million cases in 2019 to 153 million cases by 2050, effective treatments are scant. Researchers wanted to focus on diet, a factor that influences dementia risk, to identify strategies that could lessen the growing burden.
While past studies have shown that dairy products may have a protective effect against dementia, how specific dairy products affect cognitive health remains unclear.
To help fill the gap, the research team relied on data from 27,670 adults in Sweden recruited to provide dietary data between 1991 and 1996. Participants recorded what they ate for a week and reported their eating habits in a questionnaire and interview. During follow-up visits, their dietary patterns were reassessed.
The group was tracked for an average of 25 years, during which time 3,208 participants developed dementia.
People who ate at least 50 grams of high-fat cheese, which equates to roughly two slices of cheddar, a day had a 13% lower risk of dementia compared to those consuming less than 15 grams daily. Eating more high-fat cheese was also linked to a 29% lower risk of vascular dementia, a common type of cognitive decline caused by reduced or blocked blood flow to the brain.
“This suggests that high-fat cheese—but not other high-fat foods like red meat—may have protective properties against dementia, in this population,” Silvia Fossati, PhD, the director of the Alzheimer’s Center at Temple University’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine, told Health.
Researchers also looked at high-fat cream intake, finding that people who consumed at least 20 grams—or 1.4 tablespoons—of it daily had a 16% lower risk of dementia compared to those who had none.
Keep in mind that the researchers identified an association, not causation. “We can’t determine whether cheese itself influenced dementia risk, or whether cheese intake is acting as a marker for other health behaviors or dietary patterns,” Perelman said.
Participants were generally healthy in midlife, with low rates of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and stroke, which may have influenced the positive outcomes.
Again, the new study doesn’t confirm that eating high-fat cheese and cream can lower your risk of dementia. But there are a few reasons why they may help keep cognition intact as you age.
According to Jonathan Rasouli, MD, a neurosurgeon at Northwell Health’s Staten Island University Hospital, fatty dairy products contain nutrients such as vitamin K2, calcium, and certain fatty acids that may support brain health. These “may reduce neuroinflammation, support vascular health, and influence cholesterol metabolism in ways that benefit the brain,” he told Health.
More broadly, fat itself plays a key role in brain health, Fossati added. The brain is composed mainly of fat, including omega-3 fatty acids and cholesterol, which are essential for maintaining brain cell structure and function.
In addition, fermented dairy products, including fresh cheeses, may benefit the gut microbiome, which is the community of microorganisms living in the gastrointestinal tract. Several studies have linked a flourishing microbiome to better brain health and cognitive function.
Rasouli doesn’t recommend relying on cheese for protection against dementia. More studies are needed across diverse populations to fully understand the link between high-fat cheese and dementia.
It’s also worth considering that high-fat cheese contains saturated fat, which evidence suggests contributes to vascular disease—and cardiovascular risk factors like obesity, hypertension, and diabetes have close ties to dementia. “For that reason, I wouldn’t recommend increasing cheese intake as a strategy to prevent dementia,” Perelman said.
That said, if you already enjoy snacking on cheese, Rasouli doesn’t think you need to stop. Cheese—when consumed in moderation—can be a safe component of a balanced diet that’s rich in whole foods like vegetables, fiber, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
Brain health isn’t determined by one single food. Instead, Rasouli explained, “it’s ultimately influenced by overall dietary patterns, physical activity, sleep, vascular risk control, and cognitive engagement.”
