Study links cheese consumption to lower risk of dementia

In a new large study published on Wednesday, researchers found that consuming high-fat cheese and cream was associated with a lower risk of developing dementia.

Cheese lovers can rejoice. But you might want to be cautious before celebrating with an entire block of your favorite cheddar.

Cheeses and creams are rich in saturated fats, and nutritional guidelines have for decades recommended limiting consumption of this type of fat, based on robust evidence that they raise LDL, the so-called “bad cholesterol,” and the risk of heart attack or stroke.

Recently, however, federal health authorities in the United States began to question this recommendation. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the next edition of federal dietary guidelines, scheduled for early 2026, will review the advice to limit fats and “highlight the need to consume them.” Many experts fear this change will lead to an increase in cardiovascular disease.

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Still, there is debate among scientists about whether full-fat dairy products actually increase health risks. The most recent study adds to some evidence that these foods may be neutral or even beneficial, including in relation to dementia or cardiovascular disease. These results don’t mean that saturated fats are healthy, but rather that other components of certain dairy products can offset the fats’ possible negative effects, said Emily Sonestedt, a nutritional epidemiologist at Lund University in Sweden and lead author of the study.

Experts emphasize, however, that the research has limitations and only shows associations, not a cause and effect relationship. To help interpret the results, we listened to experts.

What did the new study find?

The research, published in the journal Neurology, is one of the largest and longest to examine the relationship between dairy consumption and the risk of dementia, said physician and nutritional epidemiologist Patricia Chocano-Bedoya of the University of Bern in Switzerland, who was not involved in the work.

In the 1990s, researchers recruited about 28,000 adults aged 45 to 73 in Sweden and collected detailed information about their diet. Participants recorded everything they ate and drank for seven days and responded to a written questionnaire and an in-person interview.

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In 2014 and again in 2020, researchers looked at how many participants had developed dementia, based on medical data from a Swedish national registry. They then assessed whether consumption of different dairy products at the start of the study was associated with the likelihood of developing dementia years later. The analyzes controlled for other health factors, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, hypertension and family history of cardiovascular disease.

By 2020, around 10% of people who reported consuming at least 50 grams per day of high-fat cheese, such as cheddar, brie or gouda, had developed dementia, compared to 13% among those who consumed less than 15 grams per day. Fifty grams is equivalent to about 1.8 ounces, slightly more than the US recommended portion of 1.5 ounces, corresponding to two slices of cheddar for a sandwich. American guidelines recommend that adults consume about three servings of dairy products per day, preferably fat-free or low-fat versions.

According to the study, people who consumed at least 20 grams of full-fat cream daily, equivalent to about 1.3 tablespoons of fresh cream, were also less likely to develop dementia compared to those who did not consume the product.

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The researchers found no association between consumption of butter, milk, fermented milk, low-fat cheese or light cream and the risk of dementia.

The study has several limitations and should be “interpreted with caution,” said Tian-Shin Yeh, a physician and nutritional epidemiologist at Taipei Medical University, in an editorial published alongside the work. One of the points is that the participants’ diet was assessed only once, at the beginning of the study. Over the following decades, eating habits may have changed.

Is there something special about cheese?

Sonestedt acknowledged the limitations of the research and highlighted that the results may not apply to countries like the United States, where much of the cheese consumed is processed and is usually accompanied by foods such as pizza, sandwiches and tacos.

Still, according to her, it is possible that potentially beneficial components of cheese, such as vitamins K and B12 or minerals such as calcium, contribute to positive effects.

The results should not be interpreted as a general release of saturated fats, said Deirdre K. Tobias, an epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Research consistently shows that saturated fats are associated with long-term health risks, including dementia, while unsaturated fats, found in olive oil, canola oil, fish, nuts and seeds, are associated with lower risk.

Additionally, many studies that point to neutral or positive effects of full-fat dairy products, including this one, fail to fully capture other aspects of participants’ diets, Tobias said.

Compared to other common foods in the diet, such as those rich in refined carbohydrates, full-fat dairy products may seem better, or at least not worse, for your health. But when compared to foods like whole grains, olive oil, legumes or nuts, the latter are consistently associated with better health outcomes.

What is the conclusion?

People shouldn’t necessarily increase their cheese consumption based solely on the results of this study, Sonestedt said. Still, the data suggests that, in moderation, cheese can be part of a healthy diet.

Still, there are better options for brain health, Yeh said. Research consistently indicates that plant-rich diets, such as the Mediterranean or the MIND diet, reduce the risk of cognitive decline. This involves consuming lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, as well as healthy fats, such as those present in olive oil and fish.