An unexpected link between cheese and dementia-Study

Higher intake of full-fat cheese and cream was linked to a lower dementia risk in a large Swedish study, though only in certain groups. Experts say the results likely reflect overall diet and lifestyle, not a magic effect of dairy. Credit: Shutterstock

The study tracked 27,670 people over a 25-year period. During that time, 3,208 participants were diagnosed with dementia. Among individuals without a known genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease, those who consumed more than 50 grams of full-fat cheese per day showed a 13%–17% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s. This association did not appear in participants who carried genetic risk factors for the disease.

Why These Findings Challenge Longstanding Nutrition Advice

The results stand out because public health guidance has long encouraged people to choose low-fat dairy to protect heart health. This connection matters because cardiovascular disease and dementia share many underlying risk factors, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.

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

Mixed Results Across Different Populations

Evidence overall suggests that studies conducted in Asian populations are more likely to report benefits of dairy consumption for cognitive health, while many European studies do not. One possible explanation is that average dairy intake tends to be much lower in Asian countries, meaning modest consumption may have different effects than higher intakes.

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

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

Broader Dietary Patterns and Brain Health

Other dietary factors also appear to matter. Higher consumption of milk and processed red meat was associated with worse performance on cognitive tests, while fish intake was linked to better results. A large study in the UK that followed nearly 250,000 people found lower dementia risk among those who ate fish two to four times a week, fruit daily, and cheese once a week.

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

How Researchers Accounted for Early Dementia Changes

First, they excluded anyone who already had dementia when the study began. Then they repeated the same calculations after removing people who went on to develop dementia within the first ten years of the study. This did not mean starting the study again or recruiting new participants. It simply meant re-checking the results using a smaller group of people who remained dementia-free for longer.

The reason for doing this is that the early stages of dementia can subtly change behavior long before diagnosis. People may eat differently, lose appetite or struggle to recall their usual diet. By focusing on participants who stayed cognitively healthy for many years, the researchers reduced the chance that these early changes were influencing the results.

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

Most importantly, foods should not be considered in isolation. Dietary patterns matter more than individual ingredients. Diets such as the Mediterranean diet, which is consistently associated with lower risks of both dementia and heart disease, include cheese alongside vegetables, fish, whole grains and fruit.

Lifestyle Factors May Explain Part of the Association

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

This suggests that higher cheese intake tended to occur within healthier overall lifestyles, rather than alongside excess calorie consumption or poor metabolic health.

What the Evidence Ultimately Shows

Overall, the evidence does not support the idea that full-fat dairy causes dementia, nor that fermented milk products reliably protect against it. Full-fat cheese contains several 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 roles in neurological function and may help support cognitive health.