Fatty cheese and cream have been linked to a lower risk of dementia

A Swedish long-term study found a curious association: middle-aged and older people who ate high-fat cheese and double cream more often had a lower risk of dementia on average. However, the authors and independent experts emphasise: the results should be interpreted with caution - the work shows an association, not a 'protective effect' in the literal sense.

What exactly was studied

The researchers analysed data from the Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort: 27,670 participants, average age at start about 58 years, follow-up about 25 years. During this time, 3,208 people were diagnosed with dementia. Nutrition was assessed by several methods (food diary, questionnaires and interviews about cooking habits) and dementia cases were recorded through national registers.

The main figures: cheese, cream and different types of dementia

• People who ate 50g or more of fatty cheese a day had about 13% lower risk of dementia than those who ate less than 15g.

• For individual diagnoses: for vascular dementia, the 'cheese' group showed a risk reduction of about 29%.

• The association with a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease was only seen in people without the APOE e4(genetic risk factor) variant.

• Those who consumed 20g or more of double cream per day had about a 16% lower risk of dementia compared to those who ate no cream.

However, for milk, yoghurt/fermented foods, butter, and non-fat dairy options, no statistically significant relationships were found in this analysis.

Why this is not a reason to "treat with cheese"

Even when adjusting for age, gender, education, and diet quality, these studies can't completely rule out lifestyle influences. People who eat more cheese and cream may differ on a variety of factors, from physical activity to dietary patterns in general. So the conclusion is: causality has not been proven, and "the more fatty the better" does not follow from the data.

The most consistent practical signal in dementia prevention studies is usually not related to a single food, but to overall dietary style (e.g. the Mediterranean approach) and lifestyle - movement, sleep, blood pressure and sugar control.