Eating high-fat cheese reduces the risk of dementia by 13%, research reveals surprising findings

News Topical, Digital Desk : It's commonly believed that high-fat and sodium cheese is unhealthy because it can raise cholesterol and blood pressure, but a recent major study has challenged this notion. A study by Swedish researchers has found that high-fat dairy products, such as cheddar, brie, and gouda cheese, may help reduce the risk of dementia.

Extensive research spanning 25 years

The study, published in the prestigious journal Neurology, involved researchers from Lund University in Sweden who conducted an in-depth analysis of health data from 27,670 people.

• The average age of these people at the start of the study was 58 years.
• Researchers followed these people for an average of 25 years.
• During this long period, a total of 3,208 people developed dementia.

The Link Between High-Fat Cheese and Dementia

The results of the study showed that people who ate higher amounts of high-fat cheese had a lower risk of developing dementia.

• 13% lower risk: Compared to those who ate less cheese, those who consumed more high-fat cheese had a 13 percent lower risk of dementia.
• Big relief in vascular dementia: When researchers looked at specific types of dementia, they found that those who ate high-fat cheese had a 29 percent lower risk of vascular dementia.
• Cream effect: Not just cheese, but people who consumed high-fat cream (such as whipping cream and clotted cream) daily also had a 16% lower risk of dementia.

The connection between Alzheimer's and genetics

The study also revealed important information about Alzheimer's disease. According to the research, eating high-fat cheese also reduced the risk of Alzheimer's, but this benefit was only seen in people who did not have the APOE-e4 gene variant, which is considered a major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's.

Are low-fat products also effective?

Interestingly, the study did not show any significant benefit from low-fat products. " No association was found between consumption of low-fat cheese, low-fat cream, milk (whether high-fat or low-fat), butter, or fermented dairy products such as yogurt, buttermilk, and kefir and dementia."

Researcher Emily Sønstedt of Lund University says these findings indicate that not all dairy products are equal for brain health. However, she also clarified that this study only shows an association, and does not directly prove that eating cheese reduces dementia. The team stressed the need for more research to confirm these results.

Read More: These 5 popular diet myths are the enemy of health. Don't ruin your health by eating carbs and fat-free foods.