Consumption of \u226550 g\/day of high-fat cheese, \u226520 g\/day of high-fat cream associated with lower risk for all-cause dementia, vascular dementia<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
\n<\/b><\/p>\n
FRIDAY, Dec. 19, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Higher intake of high-fat cheese and high-fat cream is associated with a lower risk for all-cause dementia, according to a study published online Dec. 17 in Neurology<\/em>.<\/p>\n Yufeng Du, from Lanzhou University in China, and colleagues examined the association between high-fat and low-fat dairy intake and dementia risk using data for 27,670 participants from the Malm\u04e7 Diet and Cancer prospective cohort in Sweden. Dietary intake was assessed using a diet history method combining a seven-day food diary, food frequency questionnaire, and dietary interview.<\/p>\n A total of 3,208 incident dementia cases were recorded during a median of 25 years of follow-up. The researchers found that compared with lower intake (<15 g\/day), consumption of \u226550 g\/day of high-fat cheese (>20 percent fat) was associated with a reduced risk for all-cause dementia and vascular dementia (hazard ratios, 0.87 and 0.71, respectively). Among APOE<\/em> \u03b54 noncarriers, there was an inverse association between high-fat cheese and Alzheimer disease (AD; hazard ratio, 0.87). Individuals consuming \u226520 g\/day of high-fat cream (>30 percent fat) had a lower risk for all-cause dementia compared with no consumption (hazard ratio, 0.84). Inverse associations were also seen for high-fat cream consumption with the risk for AD and vascular dementia. No association with all-cause dementia was seen for consumption of low-fat cheese, low-fat cream, milk (high- and low-fat), fermented milk (high- and low-fat), or butter.<\/p>\n “These findings suggest that when it comes to brain health not all dairy is equal,” coauthor Emily Sonestedt, Ph.D., of Lund University in Sweden, said in a statement. \u201cWhile 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Two authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text<\/a><\/p>\n Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n