A 25-year study found an unexpected link between cheese and dementia

[multigraincracker]

Loughborough University
Summary:
A massive Swedish study tracking nearly 28,000 people for 25 years found an unexpected link between full-fat dairy and brain health. Among adults without a genetic risk for Alzheimer’s, eating more full-fat cheese was associated with a noticeably lower risk of developing the disease, while higher cream intake was tied to reduced dementia risk overall. The findings challenge decades of low-fat dietary advice but come with important caveats.
https://sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260203030540.htm

[EYESORE 9001]

1. Little did I know

that I was doing myself a cognitive favor by snacking on Brie yesterday.

[BonnieJW]

26. Not to mention

That the microbes in cheese and yogurt make our gut biome very happy

[dickthegrouch]

2. You had me worried, I eat a lot of cheese

I always appreciate the science posts. Thank you

[PatSeg]

12. Same here

and I drink whole milk and eat whole milk yogurt. The body needs fat to absorb vitamin D and calcium.

[erronis]

3. I'm a bit addicted to very sharp aged cheddars - so this is great news. Also like Stiltons, bries, etc., etc., etc.

[Bumbles]

19. Me, too.

Perhaps a hereditary addiction. Though it could use more studying, at 83 I'll accept the current supposition.

[lostincalifornia]

4. It is a retrospective study, not a double blind study, and also doesn't factor in other variables.

[multigraincracker]

6. It calls for further study and explains that.

It found a possible result and ask for further investigation.
It is published in a journal and explains that. This is not FOX news.
That’s how science works. Research is found and future study is sought to confirm it. If you see a possible problem or sample error, please point that out and design a study with more accurate study sample to confirm or deny the results. That is what is stated.

[lostincalifornia]

8. I wasn't disparaging anything. I was just pointing out that it was a retrospective observation. In addition there are

other issues which I didn't mention such as cardiovascular issues, genetic factors, etc.

[MiHale]

5. Whew!...I live half hour away from Pinconning, Mi. ...

The cheese making capital of Michigan. Some of the freshest and best cheeses around. We eat a lot of cheese.
Glad to know they’re looking out for our healthy minds.

[multigraincracker]

7. I've stopped there many time and

left with lots of cheese. Usually some Pinconming Cheese in my bag. 👍

[NBachers]

9. Looks like I can keep getting my Dubliner Irish cheese & Kerrygold butter from grass-fed Irish cows.

[DUgosh]

10. That's my favorite!

[SergeStorms]

23. Best butter on the planet.

No one comes between me and my Kerry Gold!

[mwmisses4289]

11. I think this final paragrah

"That said, the data do not justify eating large amounts of cheese or cream as protective foods against dementia or heart disease. The most consistent message remains that balanced diets, moderation and overall lifestyle matter far more than any single item on the cheese board."

Healthy overall diets and lifestyles, like those found in Asia and around the Mediterranean, seem to be the best.

[Martin68]

14. I believe we've been going through a course correction from the belief that whole milk and associated products are

always bad for you, no matter what. Moderation and variety is the key.

[hunter]

32. Unfortunately "factory farm" dairy is bad for the natural environment, not to mention the cows.

Milk and cheese would be expensive luxury foods if all of it was produced in ways that respected both the animals and the environment.

Many people in my family, including my wife, are lactose intolerant (they have ancestors who did not keep cows) which is one reason there is never any whole milk in my refrigerator.

I do buy cheese however, even the kinds that originate in factory farms.

[Martin68]

34. I've been fortunate that my family, and my Japanese wife, all love cheese as much as I do.

[Martin68]

13. Then I am well-protected.

[3Hotdogs]

15. I'm on my way to Hoggy-days as soon as I finish posting this.

[CaptainTruth]

16. Good! I'm a cheese lover.

[Jean Genie]

17. Yea!

Three cheers for cheese!

[Mtnmama]

18. So, pick your poison!

Heart disease or dementia

[pandr32]

20. Excellent, but like you said--caveats.

We eat way too much processed cheese in the U.S. I doubt it would help much, if at all.
Say no to Velveeta, American cheese slices, and canned Queso cheese dip.

[JT45242]

21. wonder if there is some sort of wealth/lifestyle link there

Ignoring the correlation is not causality -- a large number of these food studies really are proxies for wealth, lifestyle, and regional stressors for disease.

For example, I could easily have found that eating spaghetti topped with chili that contains Greek and Turkish spices including cinnamon and chocolate and topped with finely shredded cheddar cheese was strongly correlated with higher than average cancer rates since the 1970s. But that is really just a proxy for living in Cincinnati and eating the local cuisine.

[Vinca]

22. My husband's been telling me this for years. He just turned 79, by the way and has all his wits about him.

My 77 years has been continually failing at dieting so I'm still fairly sharp, too. Love the Tillamook Ice Cream!

[LymphocyteLover]

24. I don't want to know the caveats!

Yay cheese!

[maspaha]

25. I wonder if the same would extend to BUTTER!!!

100% dairy fat

[PhylliPretzel]

33. Actually, 80% butterfat

Butter is only 80% fat, or 20% fat free. :~) This is why you can't substitute one-for-one butter for oils or hydrogenated shortenings in baked goods.
Ghee and other clarified butters are nearly 100% fat.
(Retired Teacher of Home Economics)

[GoneOffShore]

27. I now live in cheese paradise.

There are apparently between 1000 and 1600 varieties of cheese here in France.
Walk into a big supermarket and there will be one aisle entirely devoted to cheese. There are at least 10 cheese shops within walking distance of my flat. There are more on the outskirts. The town has 150K inhabitants.

[AncientOfDays]

28. I wonder

I wonder where Havarti fits in this - it's got a rather creamy taste

[bucolic_frolic]

29. Old world diets included whole milk dairy, goat's milk and various cheeses

Today the equivalent products would be organic, grass fed. I read an article somewhere that rec'd ricotta for prostate protection. This at a time when 1% milk was considered part of the perfect diet. It's all about gut health, the whole fat products filter and protect the GI tract.

[Norrrm]

30. Negative thinker. I automatically took the topic headline as a bad result.

[dlk]

31. Correlation is not causation

And is Rule Number One of scientific research. This is why double blind studies are the gold standard.