Du Et Al 2025 High And Low Fat Dairy Consumption And Long Term Risk Of Dementia

Researchers followed 27,670 Swedish adults for 25 years to understand how different types of dairy products might affect brain health and dementia risk. The participants, who averaged 58 years old at the start, had their diets carefully tracked through food diaries, questionnaires, and interviews. Over the study period, 3,208 people developed dementia.

The results showed some surprising benefits of high-fat dairy consumption. People who ate at least 50 grams daily of high-fat cheese (containing more than 20% fat) had a 13% lower risk of developing any type of dementia and a 29% lower risk of vascular dementia compared to those eating very little cheese. Similarly, consuming at least 20 grams daily of high-fat cream (over 30% fat) was associated with a 16% lower dementia risk. The protective effects were particularly strong for vascular dementia, which is caused by reduced blood flow to the brain.

Interestingly, the benefits varied based on genetics. People without the APOE e4 gene variant (a known Alzheimer's risk factor) saw greater protection against Alzheimer's disease from high-fat cheese consumption, while those with this gene variant did not show the same benefit.

This research adds to growing evidence that not all saturated fats may be harmful, and that full-fat dairy might offer unique brain-protective compounds. However, these findings need to be balanced with overall dietary patterns and individual health conditions. In clinical practice, this suggests that moderate consumption of high-quality, full-fat dairy products could be part of a brain-healthy eating plan, particularly when combined with other evidence-based lifestyle interventions for cognitive health.