Scientists have discovered a fascinating connection between the consumption of high-fat dairy products, such as cream and cheese, and a decreased risk of developing dementia.

Through an extensive 25-year study that involved analyzing food diaries and conducting interviews with over 27,000 Swedish participants, researchers identified a correlation between the intake of at least 50 grams of full-fat cheese and 20 grams of full-fat cream daily with a reduced likelihood of dementia.

Dementia, a term that includes Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, and various other forms, impacts more than 7.2 million Americans, a number that may be underestimated.

Of these, almost 7 million are affected by Alzheimer’s, and estimates suggest that over 2.7 million suffer from vascular dementia, which is often left undiagnosed.

High-fat cheeses like cheddar, Brie, and Gouda, which contain over 20 percent fat, and creams such as whipping cream, double cream, and clotted cream with 30 to 40 percent fat, were linked to these health benefits. In contrast, low-fat dairy products, including low-fat cheese, butter, milk, kefir, and low-fat cream, did not demonstrate the same protective effects against dementia.

Interestingly, the study also revealed that increased consumption of high-fat cheese was associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease, but this benefit was observed only in individuals who do not carry the APOE e4 gene variant, a significant genetic risk factor for the disease.

Dr Emily Sonestedt, a neurologist at Lund University, Sweden, said: ‘For decades, the debate over high-fat versus low-fat diets has shaped health advice, sometimes even categorizing cheese as an unhealthy food to limit.

‘Our study found that some high-fat dairy products may actually lower the risk of dementia, challenging some long-held assumptions about fat and brain health.’

Dementia is an umbrella term for Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, and other conditions, and it affects more than 7.2 million Americans (stock)

The study did not investigate the biological mechanism behind this link, establishing only a correlation between high-fat dairy intake and reduced dementia risk. 

Researchers recruited tens of thousands of healthy adults in Sweden ranging in age from 45 to 73, the average being 58, between 1991 and 1996.

More than 27,600 of them answered a self-administered questionnaire covering lifestyle factors and sociodemographic characteristics such as age and education level, along with a food diary and a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), at their first visit.

They also had blood samples taken and underwent a dietary interview during their second visit, approximately two weeks after the first. Researchers tracked dairy intake closely, such as milk as a drink and dairy used in cooking.

The FFQ tracked other common dairy products, like yogurt, cheese on bread and milk in coffee eaten over the past year.

Foods were then grouped as low-fat or high-fat using standard cut-offs; milk with less than 2.5 percent fat was low-fat, for instance. 

Daily intake for each dairy product was calculated and sorted into four categories based on how much people typically consumed.

Researchers followed this initial cohort, using the Swedish National Patient Registry to see who was later diagnosed with dementia, all the way up to the end of 2020, and whether those early dietary habits influenced whether they were diagnosed.

After about two decades, a total of 1,920 had been diagnosed with any type of dementia, including 1,126 Alzheimer’s cases and 451 vascular dementia cases.

A 25-year study of over 27,000 people in Sweden linked a daily intake of at least 50 grams of full-fat cheese and 20 grams of full-fat cream to a reduced risk of dementia (stock)

The figure shows how the risk of developing dementia changed with higher daily intake of high-fat cheese and high-fat cream. Lines below the neutral line (HR = 1) indicate a lower risk. The analysis reveals a dose-dependent relationship where greater consumption of high fat dairy is linked to a progressively lower risk 

The analysis revealed that higher consumption of specific full-fat dairy products was associated with a lower risk of developing dementia.

Specifically, individuals who consumed roughly 1.8 ounces of full-fat cheese daily showed a 13 percent reduced risk of dementia compared to those who ate the least. Similarly, those who consumed about 1.4 tablespoons grams of full-fat cream daily had a 16 percent lower risk.

The reduced risk for Alzheimer’s disease from eating full-fat cheese was only observed in people who did not carry the APOE ε4 gene, a major genetic risk factor for dementia. 

For other factors such as sex, age, or general diet quality, the association with dementia risk remained consistent across the board.

Their results suggest a potential protective link between these particular full-fat dairy items and long-term cognitive health, though the study design shows correlation, not direct causation. 

Other dairy products, such as low-fat milk and yogurt, did not demonstrate the same association.

Sonestedt said: ‘These findings suggest that when it comes to brain health not all dairy is equal.’

The researchers cautioned against substituting high fat cheeses and creams for other fatty foods, such as red meat which is high in saturated fat and has been linked to a higher rate of all causes of dementia.

Their research also suggests that eating full-fat dairy has strong links to overall health, not just a reduced dementia risk. 

People who ate high-fat cheese and cream tended to have low BMI, lower rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke and lower rates of cholesterol medicine use.

These findings could upend what dietitians and nutritionists characterize as ideal diets. The researchers point specifically to the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet.

It incorporates foods that support brain health including leafy greens, berries, nuts, whole grains, fish, poultry, beans, and olive oil while limiting red meat, dairy, sweets and fried foods.

However, more recent and direct research has looked at this differently. In controlled studies where people are randomly assigned to eat either regular-fat or low-fat cheese, the results have shown that eating regular-fat cheese does not lead to worse cholesterol levels compared to eating low-fat cheese or no special cheese at all.

Their study was published in the journal Neurology.