High-fat cheeses and cream could help stave off dementia, a new study has found.
The study, recently published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, found that people who ate two servings of high-fat cheese a day as part of a healthy diet were less likely to develop dementia.
“For decades, the debate over high-fat versus low-fat diets has shaped health advice, sometimes even categorising cheese as an unhealthy food to limit,” says Dr Emily Sonestedt, an associate professor from Lund University, Sweden, who was the study’s senior author.
“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.”
The study analysed data from 27,670 seniors, tracking their health over an average of 25 years to see who went on to develop dementia.
They also asked participants to keep track of what they ate for one week, and to report how much their diet had changed over the last few years.
The study found that people who ate a healthy diet containing more than 50g (1.8oz) of high-fat cheese a day had a 13 per cent lower risk of dementia than those who ate less than 15g (0.5oz).
When looking specifically at vascular dementia, a condition in which the brain doesn't receive enough blood, the risk for cheese eaters was 29 per cent lower.
The study also found people who ate 20g (0.7oz, or about 1.4 tablespoons) of heavy cream, such as whipping, clotted or double cream, had a 16 per cent lower risk of dementia.
When they looked at low-fat cheeses and creams, as well as other dairy products, there was no such association.
“These findings suggest that when it comes to brain health, not all dairy is equal,” said Sonestedt.
One key point of the study is that it was conducted in Sweden, where cheese is generally eaten uncooked.
Melting cheese changes its structure, allowing the fat to ooze out and separate, which can potentially impact how our bodies absorb it.
In countries where cheese is heated first, such as the US, the results could be different, and so the research team recommend repeating the study in other countries.
“More research is needed to confirm our study results and further explore whether consuming certain high-fat dairy truly offers some level of protection for the brain.”
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