Go ahead, have that hunk of cheddar or slice of Brie – it may protect you from dementia, new research suggests.
The findings are from a study published Dec. 17 in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Researchers in Sweden analyzed dietary data from about 27,600 participants in the Malmö Diet and Cancer study, who were followed for an average of 25 years.
People in the study who consumed 50 grams or more of high-fat cheese daily had a 13% lower risk of developing dementia, compared to those who ate less than 15 grams daily, researchers found. Those who reported consuming more high-fat cream had a 16% lower risk of dementia, compared to those who had none, researchers said.
While the study suggests an association between high-fat cheese and high-fat cream and a lower risk of dementia, it does not prove that consuming those foods leads to lower risks.
"This does not prove that cheese prevents dementia, but it does challenge the idea that all high-fat dairy is harmful for the brain," study co-author Emily Sonestedt, a nutrition researcher at Lund University in Sweden, where the Malmö Diet and Cancer study is based, told USA TODAY. "For most people, it means that enjoying cheese in reasonable amounts, as part of a balanced diet, does not appear to be harmful and may even be linked to some benefit."
