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.
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 Malmӧ 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.
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 ≥50 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 ε4 noncarriers, there was an inverse association between high-fat cheese and Alzheimer disease (AD; hazard ratio, 0.87). Individuals consuming ≥20 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.
"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. “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.”
Two authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.