High-Fat Cheese and Cream May Be Linked to Lower Dementia Risk According to a Long-Term Neurology Study

A growing body of research continues to explore how what we eat may influence brain health as we age, and a newly published study has added an unexpected twist to that conversation. According to research published in the journal Neurology, people who regularly consumed high-fat cheese and high-fat cream were found to have a lower risk of developing dementia over the long term. While the findings do not prove that these foods directly protect the brain, they challenge long-standing assumptions about dietary fat and cognitive health.

The study was conducted by researchers in Sweden and followed tens of thousands of participants for more than two decades. Its results suggest that, when it comes to dairy and brain health, not all fats — or dairy products — behave the same way.

What the Study Looked At

The researchers analyzed dietary and health data from 27,670 adults living in Sweden. At the beginning of the study, participants had an average age of 58. They were then followed for an average of 25 years, making this one of the longer observational studies examining diet and dementia risk.

Over the course of the follow-up period, 3,208 participants developed dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. By tracking food intake early on and linking it with health outcomes decades later, the researchers aimed to understand whether certain dairy products were associated with higher or lower dementia risk.

How Diet Was Measured

Participants provided detailed information about what they ate using multiple methods. They kept a seven-day food diary, completed questionnaires about how frequently they consumed specific foods over previous years, and took part in interviews where they discussed food preparation habits. This multi-step approach helped researchers build a clearer picture of long-term eating patterns rather than relying on a single snapshot in time.

Dairy products were divided into categories based on fat content, allowing the researchers to compare high-fat and low-fat versions of similar foods.

What Counts as High-Fat Cheese and Cream

In the study, high-fat cheese was defined as cheese containing more than 20 percent fat. This category included commonly eaten varieties such as cheddar, Brie, and Gouda. High-fat cheese is often sold as “full-fat” or “regular” cheese in grocery stores.

High-fat cream was defined as cream with 30 to 40 percent fat, including products such as whipping cream, double cream, and clotted cream. A typical serving of high-fat cream in the study was around 20 grams, or roughly 1.4 tablespoons, which falls within common dietary recommendations.

Key Findings on High-Fat Cheese

One of the most notable findings involved high-fat cheese consumption. Researchers compared people who ate 50 grams or more of high-fat cheese per day with those who ate less than 15 grams per day. To put that in perspective, 50 grams is about two slices of cheddar, half a cup of shredded cheese, or roughly 1.8 ounces. A standard serving of cheese is usually about one ounce.

Among participants who consumed higher amounts of high-fat cheese, 10 percent developed dementia by the end of the study. In contrast, 13 percent of those who consumed lower amounts developed dementia.

After adjusting for factors such as age, sex, education level, and overall diet quality, the researchers found that higher cheese consumption was linked to a 13 percent lower overall risk of dementia. When looking specifically at vascular dementia, the association was even stronger, with a 29 percent lower risk among higher cheese consumers.

The study also examined Alzheimer’s disease separately. A reduced risk of Alzheimer’s was observed among people who ate more high-fat cheese, but only in individuals who did not carry the APOE ε4 gene variant, a well-known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. Among carriers of that gene variant, the same protective association was not observed.

Findings on High-Fat Cream

High-fat cream showed a similar, though slightly different, pattern. Researchers compared people who consumed 20 grams or more of high-fat cream per day with those who did not consume high-fat cream at all.

After adjusting for the same health and lifestyle factors, participants who regularly consumed high-fat cream had a 16 percent lower risk of developing dementia compared to non-consumers. This suggests that moderate daily intake of full-fat cream may also be associated with long-term cognitive outcomes.

What Did Not Show a Benefit

An important part of the study was what did not show a meaningful association with dementia risk. The researchers found no significant links between dementia and consumption of:

Low-fat cheese
Low-fat cream
High-fat or low-fat milk
Butter
Fermented milk products, including yogurt, kefir, and buttermilk

These results suggest that the observed associations were specific to certain high-fat dairy products, rather than dairy as a whole.

Why These Findings Matter

For decades, dietary guidelines have often encouraged people to choose low-fat dairy products, based largely on concerns about heart health and saturated fat. Cheese, in particular, has frequently been labeled as a food to limit. This study adds nuance to that conversation by suggesting that some full-fat dairy foods may behave differently in the body, especially when it comes to brain health.

The findings support the idea that food structure, fermentation, and nutrient combinations may matter just as much as fat content alone. Cheese contains not only fat, but also protein, calcium, vitamins, and bioactive compounds that could influence inflammation, blood vessel health, or brain metabolism.

Important Limitations to Keep in Mind

Despite its strengths, the study has limitations. First, it was observational, meaning it can show associations but cannot prove causation. Eating high-fat cheese or cream may be linked to other lifestyle factors that also affect dementia risk.

Second, all participants were from Sweden, where dietary habits differ from other countries. In Sweden, cheese is often eaten uncooked and on its own, while in places like the United States, it is frequently heated or combined with meat-heavy meals. These differences could influence how cheese affects health, making it important to study other populations as well.

Finally, although diet was measured carefully, eating habits can change over decades, and no single dietary assessment can perfectly capture long-term behavior.

How This Fits Into Broader Dementia Research

Dementia risk is influenced by many factors, including genetics, cardiovascular health, physical activity, education, and overall diet quality. Previous research has shown that managing blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes can reduce dementia risk, particularly vascular dementia.

This study aligns with growing interest in how specific foods, rather than entire food groups, may influence brain health. It also highlights the possibility that blanket low-fat recommendations may oversimplify complex relationships between diet and disease.

The Takeaway

The study suggests that moderate consumption of high-fat cheese and high-fat cream is associated with a lower long-term risk of dementia, particularly vascular dementia, and possibly Alzheimer’s disease in certain genetic groups. However, it does not prove that these foods prevent dementia, and it does not suggest that people should dramatically change their diets based on one study.

Instead, the findings encourage a more thoughtful look at which foods we eat, how they are prepared, and how they fit into an overall balanced lifestyle that supports both heart and brain health.

Research paper: https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000214343