This Type of Cheese Could Lower Some Types of Dementia Risk by 29%, Experts Say ...Saudi Arabia

We all know that diet can impact brain health, but the way individual foods work in the body can look very different—and sometimes the winners aren’t the ones you’d expect. Dementia is a complex condition with many forms, from vascular dementia to Alzheimer’s disease, and while there’s no single “prevention food,” nutrition is emerging as one of the most meaningful lifestyle levers we have. Case in point: roughly one in three dementia cases may be influenced by modifiable risk factors like diet, exercise, improved heart health and smoking.New research is adding a surprising player to the conversation: dairy. A recent study suggests that certain types of cheese and dairy products may help reduce the risk of some dementias by as much as 29%.One caveat before we dive in: These findings are observational, not proof of causation and no one food is a magic shield for the brain. But the results hint that components in dairy—like whey proteins, specific fatty acids and micronutrients such as calcium and vitamin D—could support brain-related pathways tied to inflammation and vascular health.

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What Type of Cheese May Reduce Dementia Risk?

Eating high-fat cheese and high-fat cream may be linked to a lower risk of developing dementia, according to a new study in Neurology from Lund University in Sweden.

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“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,” study author Dr. Emily Sonestedt, Ph.D., said in a statement. “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 analyzed data from 27,670 people in Sweden for roughly 25 years, with the average age of 58 at the start of the study. Study participants tracked their diets weekly and reported how much of certain foods they ate in recent years, as well as how their food was prepared.

Of all of the participants during the 25-year tracking period, 3,208 developed dementia.

Researchers compared participants who ate 50 grams or more of high-fat cheese (or about two slices of cheddar of half a cup of shredded cheese) every day to participants who ate less than 15 grams daily. The results were somewhat surprising, but not too staggering: About 10% of participants who ate more high-fat cheese daily developed dementia, while 13% of those who ate less high-fat cheese every day developed dementia.

Here's where it gets interesting: When researchers adjusted results to consider participants' ages, sex, education levels and overall diets, they found that people who ate high-fat cheese regularly showed a 13% lower dementia risk than those who ate less. Even more surprising? The participants who ate high-fat cheese daily actually showed a 29% lower risk of vascular dementia specifically.

Related: This Is the Best Type of Cheese for Gut Health, According to Gastroenterologists

Researchers also studied participants who consumed 20 grams or more (about 1.4 tablespoons) of high-fat cream versus participants who didn't have any. After adjusting for age, sex, education level and overall diet quality, researchers found that the participants who consumed high-fat cream daily showed a 16% lower risk of developing dementia than those who didn't have any.

Related: This Is the Worst Type of Cheese for Gut Health, According to Gastroenterologists

Does High-Fat Cheese Show a Link to Reduced Alzheimer’s Risk in the Study?

In the study, researchers also found a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease among participants who ate more high-fat cheese, but the link was observed only among those who didn't carry the APOE e4 gene variant, which poses a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.

Related: How to Tell If You're Eating Too Much Dairy

Somewhat surprisingly, at least based on a lot of other prior research on healthy diets, researchers didn't find any associations between low-fat cheeses or low-fat creams and dementia risk. Further, there weren't any links between dementia risk and consumption of high-fat milk, low-fat milk, butter or fermented milk products like buttermilk, kefir or yogurt.

"These findings suggest that when it comes to brain health, not all dairy is equal," Dr. Sonestedt explains. "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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Should We All Be Eating More High-Fat Cheese and Cream To Reduce Dementia Risk?

Not so fast, Brie brains. Neurologists and doctors specializing in brain health warn against diving headfirst into full-fat dairy just because you like this news.

"As a neurologist, I find these findings cautiously encouraging and genuinely interesting," Dr. Hanul Bhandari, MD, tells Parade. "The study itself is peer reviewed, well powered and based on a long-term population cohort followed over decades, with appropriate statistical modeling to account for many known confounders."

That matters, he explains, because dementia is a slow-moving disease, and studies that follow people for long periods are far more informative than short snapshots. "What stands out is that the association between higher intake of full-fat cheese and lower dementia risk, particularly vascular dementia, persisted even after adjusting for multiple lifestyle and cardiovascular factors. That suggests the signal is not trivial or easily dismissed as noise."

"At the same time, it is important to be clear-eyed about what this study can and cannot tell us," Dr. Bhandari notes. "This remains an observational study, which means it cannot prove that full-fat cheese itself is protective. It is entirely possible that cheese is acting as a marker for broader dietary habits, cultural patterns or lifestyle factors that support long-term brain health. In other words, cheese may be part of the story rather than the reason for the outcome. As clinicians, we have to respect that distinction, especially when translating research into real-world advice."

While Dr. Bhandari advises against adding full-fat cheese as a dementia prevention strategy, he is increasingly comfortable reassuring patients that moderate amounts of full-fat cheese can reasonably fit into a brain-healthy diet, particularly when it is consumed alongside vegetables, whole foods, and healthy fats, and when blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and metabolic health are well-controlled.

"The broader message here is refreshing: we are moving away from reflexively demonizing dietary fat and toward a more nuanced understanding of how real people eat over long periods of time," he says. "Sustainability matters. Diets that people can enjoy and maintain for decades are far more likely to support brain health than rigid rules that are abandoned after a few months. Overall, it is encouraging to see this relationship emerge, and I look forward to future studies that can further clarify and validate this intriguing signal."

Dr. Bhandari isn't alone in his assessment.

"Overall, the results are interesting and hypothesis-generating, but they don’t change current dietary recommendations on their own. I would not recommend starting or increasing full-fat cheese or dairy solely to prevent dementia based on this study alone," Dr. Dung Trinh, MD, an internist specializing in brain health, of MemorialCare Medical Group in Irvine, Calif., concurs. "The research shows an association, not proof that cheese or cream prevents dementia. That said, for people who already enjoy cheese, these findings suggest that moderate consumption of certain full-fat dairy products may fit within a healthy diet for some individuals. Dietary advice should still be personalized, especially for people with cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol or other metabolic concerns."

Dr. Majid Fotuhi, MD, PhD., neurologist and author of The Invincible Brain: The Clinically Proven Plan to Age-Proof Your Brain and Stay Sharp for Life, says to approach the study results with a healthy level of skepticism.

"It is also important to note that the apparent benefit of high-fat cheese was strongest when it replaced foods of poorer nutritional quality, particularly processed and high-fat red meats," Dr. Fortuhi says. "This suggests that high-fat cheese is not inherently neuroprotective; rather, its apparent 'benefit' is relative—it may simply be less harmful than certain alternatives. Importantly, the study did not compare high-fat cheese with well-established sources of brain-healthy fats, such as fatty fish, nuts, seeds, omega-3 fatty acids or olive oil. These comparisons are essential for meaningful public health guidance."

Related: Doing This One Thing Every Day Could Lower Your Risk of Dementia, According to a Cleveland Clinic Neuropsychologist

When it comes to brain health, the most reliable guidance comes not from chasing individual 'superfoods,' but from looking at consistent dietary patterns, Dr. Bhandari explains.

"The strongest and most reproducible evidence supports diets that protect vascular health, reduce chronic inflammation and maintain metabolic stability over time," he says. "This is why Mediterranean and MIND-style eating patterns repeatedly show associations with slower cognitive decline and lower dementia risk across large human studies."

These diets emphasize leafy green vegetables, berries, legumes, whole grains, nuts, olive oil and fatty fish, foods that support cerebral blood flow and help reduce the cumulative wear and tear on neurons. "From a neurologic perspective, this makes intuitive sense," Dr. Bhandari continues. "The brain is extraordinarily sensitive to vascular and metabolic stress, and anything that protects blood vessels tends to protect cognition as well."

Dr. Fortuhi says that supplements may also have long-term brain health benefits, although it's important to talk to your doctor before starting a supplement regimen.

"When it comes to fats, I do recommend omega-3 fatty acid supplements. Several studies—including a review paper I published in Nature—have shown that higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids are associated with a significantly lower risk of Alzheimer's disease," he says. "I personally take a daily supplement providing 1,000 mg of combined DHA and EPA."

Related: This Is the One Nutrient Neurologists Say Most People Over 50 Don’t Get Enough Of

Aside From Diet, How Else Can We Help Prevent Dementia and Reduce Alzheimer’s Risk?

Your dementia prevention doesn't have to stop on your plate or in your pantry. There are other things we can do to protect our noggins in the long term!

"Dementia risk is shaped gradually over decades, and many of the most powerful interventions involve protecting brain health long before any symptoms appear," Dr. Bhandari says. "Controlling blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol and weight; staying physically active; prioritizing high-quality sleep; treating sleep apnea when present; avoiding smoking; limiting alcohol and maintaining cognitive and social engagement all show meaningful associations with healthier brain aging."

Dr. Fortuhi agrees with this assessment. "While nutrition matters, it is only one part of a much bigger picture," he says. "In my view, the most powerful strategies for maintaining brain health with aging fall into the five pillars of brain health."

Related: The Actually Fun Exercise Type That Will Give Your Brain Health a Boost

Here’s how he would rank brain health factors' importance on a scale of 1 to 10:

Dr. Trinh also points out the importance of three often-overlooked issues that can each exacerbate and accelerate cognitive decline: "It's crucial to address hearing loss, vision loss and depression."

The bottom line, Dr. Bhandari says, is understanding that long-term brain health requires long-term efforts, and nothing will cure or protect you from cognitive decline overnight if your overall lifestyle and habits aren't healthy.

"What is increasingly clear is that brain health should be approached as a long-term, evolving process rather than a one-time assessment," he explains. "Neurodegenerative diseases develop quietly and gradually, often many years before memory problems become noticeable. Following brain function over time allows clinicians and patients to identify subtle changes earlier, personalize interventions, and adjust course while there is still a meaningful opportunity to do so."

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