Full-fat is getting a full send.
A Swedish study that tracked over 27,000 people for 25 years found something to moo about — specifically, a positive association between full-fat dairy and overall brain health.
And they found that the right kind of cheese can make a noticeable difference.
During the course of the 25-year study, 3,208 out of 27,670 participants were diagnosed with dementia.
Those without a known genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease who ate more than 50 grams of full-fat cheese per day — roughly a third of a cup — showed a 13%–17% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s. This reduced risk was absent among participants with genetic risk factors.
What’s more, people who consumed more than 20 grams of full-fat cream per day demonstrated an overall lower risk of dementia, between 16 and 24%.
The study found no meaningful links between reduced dementia risk and low-fat or high-fat milk, fermented or non-fermented milk, or low-fat cream.
Experts have long encouraged consumers to go low-fat in the dairy aisle for their heart health.
But dementia and cardiovascular disease share several underlying risk factors, and evidence from this and other studies suggests that cheese could also contribute to a lower risk of heart disease.
While dairy remains debatable, these findings seem to support, in part, the Department of Agriculture’s new dietary guidelines, which prioritize full-fat over low-fat options.
Full-fat cheese is rich in vitamins A, B12, D and K2, as well as folate, iodine, zinc and selenium, all nutrients that support brain function.
Previous research has also found that full-fat dairy is beneficial for overall health.
In 2022, a decades-long Finnish study of 2,497 middle-aged men found that cheese was the only food associated with a lower dementia risk, with a 28% reduction.
Meanwhile, a 2024 study found that those who consumed more cheese tend to live healthier, happier lives. The gouda life, if you will.
Experts note, however, that some of the reported benefits of full-fat dairy could stem from replacing red and processed meat with cheese or cream, suggesting the positive association is more about dairy as a substitute than sustenance.
Indeed, the Swedish study found no correlation between full-fat dairy and dementia risk among participants whose diets remained stable over five years.
Further, the study found that participants who consumed more full-fat dairy were more educated, less likely to be overweight, and overall had lower risk factors for conditions associated with dementia, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
These qualities suggest that full-fat dairy devotion occurs within an overall healthy lifestyle, and the study’s results do not indicate that eating copious amounts of cheese and cream can protect against dementia or heart disease.
In that vein, study authors and health professionals emphasize that maintaining a healthy overall diet, rather than consuming a single specific food, should be the guiding light for consumers.
To that end, the Mediterranean diet, which incorporates vegetables, fish, whole grains, fruit and full-fat dairy, is routinely associated with reduced risk of both heart disease and dementia.
