According to the study, eating cheese is not just a pleasant experience but could also have major health benefits, especially considering the ageing global population.
According to the World Health Organization, dementia has become a key public health priority. Their Global Status Report on the Public Health Response to Dementia showed that more than 50 million people worldwide were living with dementia in 2021, a number likely to more than triple by 2050. Prevention, diagnosis, care, and policy development are thus essential to be able to address the growing number of dementia patients.
In Japan, those numbers are not much different. 4.4 million adults aged 65 or older (12.3%) were affected by dementia in 2022, and that number is projected to reach 5.8 million by 2040.
Weekly dose of cheese
In an attempt to add to the global knowledge about dementia, a team of Japanese scientists has looked at the impact of cheese consumption on the development of the condition. The researchers analysed the health data of 8,000 participants aged 65 or under, equally divided into groups of cheese consumers and non-cheese consumers.
According to their findings, cheese could have a major positive impact on the development of dementia. The data showed that regular cheese eaters are 24% less likely to develop dementia over a three-year period than non-cheese consumers. Overall, by the end of the study, 3.4% of those who regularly consumed cheese were diagnosed with dementia, whereas 4.45% of those who did not eat cheese had developed the condition.
“Although the absolute risk reduction was slight, the findings are consistent with prior evidence suggesting potential cognitive benefits of fermented dairy products. Our findings align with previous evidence suggesting that dairy products may play a supportive role in dementia prevention”, the researchers explain in their study.
Factors such as age, sex, health status, and socioeconomic background were taken into account during the study, but cheese appeared to play an important role. According to the researchers, the impact of cheese could be explained by the fact that it contains several ingredients that can have a positive impact on the brain.
“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. It also provides antioxidants (e.g., selenium, vitamin E) and, when fermented, generates bioactive peptides and probiotic strains that have been implicated in gut–brain axis modulation and inflammation regulation,” the scientists write.
While further studies are needed to make definitive recommendations regarding cheese consumption and its underlying mechanisms regarding the development of dementia, the study may be an important step towards getting a better understanding of the condition.
