The study showed that consuming larger amounts of cheese and full-fat cream may reduce the likelihood of developing dementia, although it does not prove a direct cause for this effect, but only indicates a possible association.
Full-fat cheeses contain more than 20% fat. Full-fat cream, on the other hand, typically contains 30-40% fat and includes whipping cream, double cream, and clotted cream.
Dr. Emily Sunstedt, from Lund University in Sweden, said: "For decades, the debate over high-fat versus low-fat diets has influenced health recommendations, with cheese sometimes even being classified as an unhealthy food that should be limited."
She added: "Our study found that some full-fat dairy products may reduce the risk of dementia, challenging some prevailing assumptions about fat and brain health."
Researchers analyzed data from 27,670 people in Sweden, with an average age of 58 at the start of the study, and followed them for an average of 25 years. During this period, 3,208 people developed dementia.
Participants recorded what they ate for a week, answered questions about how often they ate certain foods over the past few years, and discussed food preparation methods with the researchers.
The researchers compared people who ate 50 grams or more of full-fat cheese daily with those who ate less than 15 grams daily.
The results showed that 10% of those who consumed larger amounts of cheese developed dementia, compared to 13% of those who consumed smaller amounts. After adjusting for age, sex, education level, and diet quality, those who consumed larger amounts were 13% less likely to develop dementia.
When studying specific types of dementia, the risk of developing vascular dementia was reduced by 29% among those who frequently consumed full-fat cheese. Researchers also observed a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease in individuals who consumed larger quantities of full-fat cheese, but only in those who did not carry the APOE e4 gene variant, a genetic factor that increases the risk of the disease.
As for full-fat cream, researchers found that people who consumed 20 grams or more daily experienced a 16% reduction in their risk of developing dementia compared to those who did not consume cream at all.
Other dairy products, such as low-fat cheese, low-fat cream, whole or low-fat milk, butter, and yogurt, did not show any association with the risk of developing dementia.
Sunstedt said: "The results suggest that the effect of dairy products on brain health is not uniform. While full-fat cheese and cream were associated with a reduced risk, low-fat products did not show a similar effect."
She added: "More studies are needed to confirm these findings and explore whether certain types of full-fat dairy products actually provide protection for the brain."
The study was published in the Journal of Neuroscience
