Higher intake of full-fat cheese and cream was linked to lower dementia risk in a large Swedish study, but the evidence points to healthy dietary patterns rather than dairy as a protective factor.
A long-running Swedish study has found that middle-aged and older adults who ate higher amounts of full-fat cheese and cream had a lower risk of developing dementia. While the results may sound encouraging, researchers stress that they should be interpreted with caution.
The study tracked 27,670 people over a 25-year period, during which 3,208 participants were diagnosed with dementia. Among individuals without a known genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease, consuming more than 50 grams of full-fat cheese each day was associated with a 13%–17% lower risk of Alzheimer’s. This association was not observed in participants who carried genetic risk factors for the disease.
Higher intake of full-fat cream showed a similar pattern. People who consumed more than 20 grams per day had a 16%–24% lower overall risk of dementia. In contrast, the researchers found no meaningful links between dementia risk and consumption of low-fat or high-fat milk, fermented or non-fermented milk, or low-fat cream.
