New research into the link between cheese consumption and dementia risk has showed that high-fat cheeses such as cheddar may be good for brain health.
According to a paper published in the academic journal Neurology, higher high‑fat cheese and cream intake was linked to lower dementia risk – but low‑fat cheese and cream showed no association with the cognitive impairment.
The study led by Yufeng Du also found that high-fat cheese had a protective effect on people who did not carry APOE e4, a gene linked with Alzheimer’s disease.
While more research is needed to establish the exact causes of these outcomes, the findings hold promise for innovation opportunities in high-fat dairy while adding to the body of evidence about whole dairy’s role in human health.
Why cognitive health matters for dairy innovation
Dementia cases are projected to nearly triple by 2050, rising from 57 million in 2019 to 153 million in 2050.
There is no cure for dementia, making prevention crucial.
Dairy’s impact on health has been widely studied given its prominence in diets globally, but when it comes to dementia risk, its role is still unclear.
Broadening research into dairy and its links to cognitive health can have two major outcomes: clear up the food group’s role in human health, and inform fresh dairy product innovation opportunities.
The latter is particularly relevant for dairy food and beverage brands looking to expand into the health and wellness segment while leaning on science-backed claims.
Globally, there’s healthy demand for functional food and beverage options that cater to brain health.
Market research firm Research and Markets estimates the category will more than double in value terms by 2034, reaching $45.1 billion compared to a $19.6bn baseline in 2024.
Consumer awareness is crucial, however, for the category to really take off in the long run – making science-backed evidence into dairy’s role in cognitive health all the more important.
The study at a glance
- Dementia cases: 3,208
- Key finding: High-fat cheese (≥50 g/day) and cream (≥20 g/day) linked to lower dementia risk.
- No Benefit: Low-fat dairy, milk, fermented milk, butter showed no significant association.
- APOE e4 insight: Protective effect of high-fat cheese stronger in non-carriers of the gene most strongly linked with developing Alzheimer's disease.
The study led by Yufeng Du alongside colleagues from China and Sweden examined how cheese consumption was associated with dementia risk.
The research was based on data from a Swedish observational study of nearly 28,000 adults, where academics tracked which participants developed dementia and how their dietary choices were related to their symptoms.
The results of Du’s study were then discussed against previous research that involved large cohorts, including a Finnish cohort study, a UK Biobank-based study and four cross-sectional studies from Japan, the Netherlands, and the UK.
Does the MIND allow cheese?
In the MIND diet – which is designed to reduce the risk of cognitive decline – cheese is treated as an unhealthy food that should be avoided due to its high levels of saturated fat.
But that goes against several studies findings, including this latest one which linked high-fat cheese with a lower risk of dementia.
While more research is needed to find out if there is a definite link between cheese consumption and cognitive health, the study’s large cohort data gives it significant statistical power and can serve as a basis for future academic work.
Do dietary choices reduce dementia risk?
Research into how dietary choices impact cognitive health have yielded mixed results.
The Mediterranean diet has been associated with slowing down cognitive decline.
But the MIND diet – which is designed to reduce the risk of dementia and is a mix between the Mediterranean diet and DASH – has been a mixed bag when it comes to how well it mitigates dementia risk.
Notably, a recent randomized controlled trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the MIND diet did not significantly improve cognitive outcomes.
What makes cheese good for the brain?
While the MIND diet advises against eating too much cheese because of its saturated fat, its that fat content that may actually be good for cognitive health.
In the paper published in Neurology, Du and her colleagues theorize that differences in fat content, other nutrients such as vitamin K2 and the food matrix between high-fat and low-fat cheese may explain cheese’s protective effects on the brain.
Previous research also suggests that fat content in cheese may not be the enemy.
Evidence from randomized controlled trials such as Raziani’s 2018 study found that consuming regular fat cheese did not raise the levels of fat lipids in the blood – a risk factor for heart disease.
And in Mendelian randomization studies, cheese has also been linked with a lower risk of diabetes and high blood pressure (both major dementia risk factors).
What about butter and cream?
Du’s study also found that high-fat cream lowers dementia risk - but these findings should be interpretated cautiously as previous research has been inconclusive, the authors warn.
For butter, the picture is a bit clearer: high intake was linked higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease – though among people who generally ate well, butter consumption was instead associated with lower dementia risk.
Key takeaways for dairy formulation
So what does this all mean for product development?
With the new findings requiring additional research, brands cannot rely on this to market cheese and cream products as good for cognitive health.
But the study may inspire confidence in companies willing to invest in future research that clarifies the link between cheese and cream intake and cognitive health.
Such undertakings can be costly and time-consuming, however - it took Danone nearly five years to secure a qualified FDA claim linking yogurt to a reduced risk of type-2 diabetes, with research into the matter emerging over two decades.
Cheese brands may still wish to explore fortification strategies to boost product value. For example, vitamin D fortification has been shown to not impact flavor according to Ganesan, et al; potentially paving the way for health-focused premium cheese ranges.
Source:
High- and Low-Fat Dairy Consumption and Long-Term Risk of Dementia Evidence From a 25-Year Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Yufeng Du, Yan Borné, Jessica Samuelsson, Isabelle Glans, Xiaobin Hu, Katarina Nägga, Sebastian Palmqvist, Oskar Hansson, and Emily Sonestedt
Published: Neurology, January 27, 2026 issue, 106 (2) e214343
