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Good News for Cheese Lovers: High-Fat Dairy Might Actually Lower Dementia Risk, Study Suggests
For those who believe a little extra cheese makes everything better, new research published in the journal Neurology offers a delightful surprise: indulging in high-fat cheese and cream might actually be linked to a lower risk of dementia. This news could certainly put a new spin on holiday cheese boards and creamy desserts!
“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,” explained senior researcher Emily Sonestedt, an associate professor of nutrition at Lund University in Sweden. “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.”
High-fat cheeses, defined as containing over 20% fat, include popular varieties like cheddar, Brie, and Gouda. High-fat creams, such as whipping cream and clotted cream, typically boast 30% to 40% fat content.
The study followed nearly 27,700 Swedish individuals, with an average age of 58, for an impressive 25 years. During this time, more than 3,200 participants developed dementia. Researchers gathered detailed information on their dietary habits, including food diaries and frequency questionnaires.
Comparing those who consumed 50 grams or more of high-fat cheese daily (roughly two slices of cheddar) to those who ate less than 15 grams, the results were noteworthy. The high-fat cheese enthusiasts showed a 13% lower risk of developing dementia overall.
Specifically, they had a 29% lower risk of vascular dementia, which stems from impaired blood flow to the brain. Even better, high-fat cheese lovers also experienced a 13% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease, particularly if they didn’t possess genetic risk factors for the condition.
The benefits didn’t stop at cheese. Individuals who consumed 20 grams or more of high-fat cream daily (about 1.4 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream) saw a 16% lower risk of dementia.
However, it’s important to note that the study found no similar links between dementia risk and low-fat cheese or cream, nor with other dairy products like milk, butter, or fermented options such as yogurt or buttermilk.
“These findings suggest that when it comes to brain health not all dairy is equal,” Sonestedt emphasized. “While eating more high-fat cheese and cream was linked to a reduced risk of dementia, other dairy products and low-fat alternatives did not show the same effect.” She added that more research is needed to confirm these findings and further investigate the protective effects of certain high-fat dairy products on the brain.
Researchers were quick to point out that this study establishes an association, not a cause-and-effect relationship. An accompanying editorial by Associate Professor Tian-Shin Yeh of Taipei Medical University in Taiwan praised the study for making “a fairly strong case that dairy fat per se is not associated with dementia.” However, Yeh also highlighted a limitation: dietary intake was assessed only once at the beginning of the study, which might not reflect long-term eating habits over the 25-year follow-up period.
Sonestedt also cautioned that these results might not directly apply to Americans, as cheese consumption habits differ between Sweden (where it’s often eaten uncooked) and the U.S. (where it’s frequently heated or paired with meat).
So, while the scientific journey continues, it seems that your grandma’s beloved cheese ball might just be doing more than satisfying your taste buds-it could be giving your brain a little boost too!