WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new long-term study suggests that people who eat at least 50 grams of high-fat cheese a day may have a lower risk of developing dementia. High-fat cheeses include varieties like brie, gouda, cheddar, parmesan, gruyere, and mozzarella.
'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,' said Emily Sonestedt of Lund University, 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.'
Researchers followed nearly 28,000 adults in Sweden for about 25 years. Participants tracked what they ate and answered detailed questions about their diets and cooking habits. People who ate at least 50 grams of high-fat cheese daily (about two slices of cheddar) were compared with those who ate less than 15 grams a day.
By the end of the study, the researchers noted that 10 percent of people in the higher-cheese group had developed dementia, compared with 13 percent in the lower-cheese group. After accounting for age, education, and overall diet, higher cheese intake was linked to a 13 percent lower risk of dementia.
The link was even stronger for vascular dementia, with a 29 percent lower risk among those who ate more high-fat cheese. A lower risk of Alzheimer's disease was also seen, but only in people without the APOE e4 gene, which raises Alzheimer's risk.
The study also looked at high-fat cream. People who consumed about 20 grams a day (roughly one to two tablespoons) had a 16 percent lower risk of dementia compared with those who didn't consume cream at all, after adjusting for lifestyle and health factors.
'These findings suggest that when it comes to brain health not all dairy is equal,' said Sonestedt. '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. 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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