Eating cheese once a week may lower dementia risk, study suggests

Eating cheese at least once a week might do more than satisfy your dairy cravings - it could also be linked to a lower risk of developing dementia, according to a recent study from Japan.

Researchers analysed data from around 8,000 adults aged 65 and over, comparing people who regularly ate cheese with those who rarely or never did. Their goal was to see how cheese consumption might influence cognitive health in older adults.

The results, published in the journal Nutrients, suggest that regular cheese eaters were 24 per cent less likely to develop dementia over a three-year period compared with non-cheese eaters.

By the end of the study, 3.4 per cent of cheese consumers had been diagnosed with dementia, compared with 4.45 per cent of those who did not eat cheese.

While the overall difference is small - just 1.06 per cent - it represents roughly 10 fewer cases of dementia per 1,000 participants.

The study used statistical matching to account for factors such as age, sex, health status, and socioeconomic background.

Why is cheese good for your brain?

Experts say there are several possible reasons cheese could influence brain health.

According to the paper, cheese "contains proteins and essential amino acids that support neuronal maintenance, as well as fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin K2, which plays a role in vascular health and calcium homeostasis".

There is also some evidence that fermented dairy products can influence inflammation and the gut-brain axis, pathways thought to play a role in cognitive decline.

"In addition, fermented dairy products have been associated with lower risks of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, both of which are known risk factors for dementia," the paper adds.

But the researchers caution that the findings should not be interpreted as definitive proof that cheese prevents dementia.

The study was observational, meaning it shows an association but cannot confirm cause and effect. Other lifestyle factors, genetics, and the type of cheese consumed may also play a role.

Over 50 million people around the world were living with dementia in 2021, and the World Health Organization’s Global Status Report on the Public Health Response to Dementia predicts this figure could more than triple by 2050.