These two foods may reduce your risk of dementia. Here’s what we know

A big swedish study reported low risk of dementia Among middle-aged and older adults who consume higher amounts of full-fat cheese and cream. The findings may seem welcome news, but they require careful interpretation.

The study followed 27,670 participants for 25 years, during which time 3,208 participants developed dementiaIn people with a known genetic risk of Alzheimer’s disease, eating more than 50 grams of full-fat cheese per day reduced the risk of Alzheimer’s by 13%–17%, No such reduction was seen in people who had genetic risk factors for the disease,

Consuming more than 20 grams of full-fat cream per day was associated with a 16%–24% lower risk of dementia overall. No association was found for low-fat or high-fat milk, fermented or non-fermented milk, or low-fat cream.

These findings are noteworthy given the long-standing public health advice to choose low-fat dairy products to reduce cardiovascular risk. This matters because heart disease and dementia share many risk factors, including high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

When combined with evidence from previous studies, the analysis suggests that cheese consumption may also be associated with a lower risk of heart disease, and that full-fat dairy does not increase cardiovascular risk. Several other studies have explored whether similar patterns apply to brain health, but results have been mixed.

Overall the evidence suggests that studies conducted in Asian populations are more likely to report benefits of dairy consumption for cognitive health, whereas many European studies do not. One possible explanation is that average dairy intake is much lower in Asian countries, meaning that modest consumption may have a different effect than high intake.

For example, a Japanese study reported a reduced risk of dementia in people who ate cheese, but total consumption levels were very low and the research was sponsored by a cheese producer. In contrast, another Japanese study funded by a government grant found no protective effect of cheese.

Some long-term European studies have also reported benefits. In a Finnish study that followed 2,497 middle-aged men for 22 years, cheese was the only food associated with a reduced dementia risk, falling by 28%.

Consumption of milk and processed red meat was associated with worse performance on cognitive tests, while consumption of fish was associated with better outcomes. A large UK study of almost 250,000 people found that eating fish two to four times a week, fruit every day and cheese once a week reduced the risk of dementia.

However, these studies have important limitations. What people eat is generally self-reported, and changes in memory can affect both eating habits and how accurately people remember what they have eaten. To deal with this, Swedish researchers took two additional steps.

First, they excluded anyone who already had dementia when the study began. They then repeated the same calculations after removing people who developed dementia within the first ten years of the study. This did not mean starting the study again or recruiting new participants. This simply meant re-examining the results using a smaller group of people who remained dementia-free for a longer period of time.

The reason for doing this is that the early stages of dementia can subtly change behavior long before diagnosis. People may eat differently, have a decreased appetite, or have difficulty remembering their usual diet. By focusing on participants who had been cognitively healthy for several years, the researchers reduced the possibility that these early changes were influencing the results.

Another important question is whether substitution played any role. Some apparent benefits may reflect replacing red or processed meat with cheese or cream rather than the effect of dairy. Supporting this idea, a Swedish study found no association between full-fat dairy and dementia risk among participants whose diet remained stable for five years.

Most importantly, foods should not be considered in isolation. The diet pattern matters more than the individual ingredients. Diets such as the Mediterranean diet, which is consistently linked to a lower risk of both dementia and heart disease, include vegetables, fish, whole grains and cheese along with fruits.

In a Swedish study, people who consumed more full-fat cheese and cream were more educated, less likely to be overweight and had lower rates of conditions associated with dementia, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes. All of these factors independently reduce dementia risk.

This suggests that consuming more cheese leads to a healthier overall lifestyle, rather than excess calorie consumption or poor metabolic health.

Overall, the evidence does not support the idea that full-fat dairy products cause dementia, nor that fermented milk products reliably protect against it. Full-fat cheese contains many nutrients relevant to brain health, including fat-soluble vitamins A, D and K2, as well as vitamin B12, folate, iodine, zinc and selenium. These nutrients play a role in neurological function and may help support cognitive health.

That said, the data do not justify eating large amounts of cheese or cream as protective foods against dementia or heart disease. The most consistent message is that a balanced diet, moderation and a holistic lifestyle matter more than any single item on a cheese board.