Does cheese really protect against dementia?

Cheese, the brain's new ally? Beware of jumping to conclusions. Keystone / Anthony Anex

A Swedish study suggests that people who regularly eat high-fat cheese may have a slightly lower risk of developing dementia. The findings attracted a lot of attention after a report by The New York Times. But how robust is the research – and should it influence what we eat?

The debate began with a large Swedish observational studyExternal link published at the end of 2025 in the journal Neurology. Researchers followed nearly 28,000 people for about 25 years. They found that participants who consumed the most high-fat cheese had a 13% lower risk of dementia than those who consumed the least.

At first glance, the result sounds promising. But nutrition research rarely offers simple answers.

An association, not proof

The key point is that this is an observational study. It tracks dietary habits and health outcomes over time, but does not intervene. As a result, it can identify correlations, not cause-and-effect relationships.

“Using a single observational study to change your diet is like investing money based on rumours,” says Giovanni Frisoni, director of the Memory Centre at Geneva University Hospitals.

According to Frisoni, dietary recommendations for the general population must be based on the full body of scientific evidence, and not on isolated findings. People who eat more cheese may also differ in other ways – such as physical activity, income, stress levels or overall diet – which could influence the risk of developing dementia.

The role of genetics

The study includes an important caveat: the apparent protective effect of cheese was observed only in people who do not carry the APOE e4 gene.

“This gene is the strongest known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease,” explains Frisoni. It is associated with the accumulation of amyloid proteins in the brain. However, any interaction between this gene and diet remains hypothetical. “We are far from being able to draw practical conclusions,” he says.

Cheese as a better alternative rather than a superfood

One finding does stand out. When researchers looked at food substitutions, replacing red or processed meat with cheese was associated with a lower dementia risk. This does not mean cheese is protective in itself, but that it may be a better option than foods known to have adverse health effects.

What the study says

The scientists followed 27,670 people aged between 45 and 73 from the Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort for almost 25 years. During this period, 3,208 cases of dementia were recorded in Swedish medical registers, including more than 1,100 cases of Alzheimer’s disease and 450 cases of vascular dementia.

The main finding was that participants who ate at least 50g of high-fat cheese a day had a 13% lower risk of dementia than those who ate very little. A similar association was observed for whole cream (at least 20g/day), with a reduction of around 16%.

Conversely, no significant association was found for:

– low-fat cheese

– milk (skimmed or whole)

– fermented dairy products

– butter (which is even associated with a slightly increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease in high doses).

Another useful concept is the “food matrix”.

“Cheese is not just saturated fat,” says Sylvie Borloz, a dietitian at Lausanne University Hospital. It also contains protein, calcium, vitamin B12 and fermented components that support gut health. Increasingly, a diverse microbiota is being studied for its potential role in protecting brain health.

An end to the demonisation of ‘fat’?

The findings may seem surprising, given cheese’s high saturated fat content. But Borloz notes that Switzerland’s updated dietary guidelines, published at the end of 2024, no longer explicitly recommend low-fat dairy products.

Recent data show no clear link between saturated fats in dairy and cardiovascular disease. “The demonisation of fat was an oversimplification,” she says, pointing out that decades of low-fat diets did not prevent rising obesity rates.

What about fondue and raclette?

None of this means unlimited cheese consumption is advisable. The Swedish study reflects an intake of about 50g per day – roughly one standard portion. A fondue or raclette, which can involve four times that amount, should remain an occasional pleasure.

“It makes sense to replace butter or processed meat with cheese,” says Frisoni, “but not to replace legumes or fish with large quantities of cheese.”

Dementia in Switzerland: a major challenge

Dementia currently affects around 147,000 people in Switzerland. This figure is set to double by 2040, reaching almost 300,000 by 2050, according to Alzheimer Switzerland projections.

The socio-economic and human impact of these neuro-degenerative diseases is considerable, making prevention a priority public health challenge.

Borloz stresses the importance of an overall dietary pattern. The Swiss food pyramid and the Mediterranean diet remain reliable reference points, emphasising plant-based foods, whole grains, moderate dairy intake and limited ultra-processed products.

Cheese is not a magic shield against dementia. But it can have a place in a balanced diet. The best protection for brain health, experts agree, remains a comprehensive approach: varied and enjoyable eating, regular physical activity, sufficient sleep and strong social connections.

Translated from German using AI/amva/gw

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