In the context that whole milk products are gradually returning to the dining table after many years of being "disadvantaged", a study published in the journal Neurology has attracted attention when it pointed out the link between consuming high-fat cheese and cream and a lower risk of dementia. This discovery quickly raised the question: is high-fat cheese really good for the brain?
Research by scientists at Lund University (Sweden) analyzed data from 27,670 people, an average age of 58, followed for 25 years. The results showed that people who ate at least 50 grams of high-fat cheese per day had a 13% lower risk of dementia than groups who ate very little. Notably, the risk of stroke due to blood vessels, a form of brain damage related to minor stroke, decreased by 29%.
People who consume about 20 grams of fatty ice cream per day also have a 16% lower risk of dementia than those who do not eat ice cream.
Why is high-fat cheese linked to brain health?
According to Michelle King Rimer, assistant professor of clinical science at the School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (USA), a reasonable hypothesis is that high-fat cheese contains high levels of vitamin K2, a nutrient that plays an important role in blood vessel health. “Blood health is closely related to the risk of dementia, so this link is not unfounded,” she said.
However, Ms. Rimer also emphasized that the research is only observational and does not clarify the specific biological mechanism. "The current results are still speculative, not enough to recommend dietary changes," she warned.
Notably, the study did not find a similar link with low-fat dairy products, fresh milk, butter or fermented dairy products such as yogurt and kefir. This shows that not all dairy products have the same impact on brain health.
Should you eat more cheese to prevent dementia?
Dr. Emily Sonestedt, lead author of the study, senior lecturer in nutritional epidemiology at Lund University, said: "The results show that when it comes to the brain, not all milks are the same. However, more research is needed to confirm whether some fatty milk products really provide protective effects.
Experts also noted the limitations of the study, such as the subject being only Swedish and the cheese eating habits may be different from other countries. In addition, the diet of participants was only mainly recorded at the initial time.
According to Dr. Lycia Neumann, Senior Director of Medical Services Research at the Alzheimer's Association (USA), brain protection cannot rely on a single type of food. “Physical activity, healthy diet, social communication and periodic health monitoring are the comprehensive ‘prescription’ to help reduce the risk of dementia,” she emphasized.
