Happy New Year: Some Cheese May Actually Be Good for You (But Don’t Overdo It)

While many of us have just solidified our New Year's resolutions — and plenty of people choose diet-related goals — there is one piece of good news when it comes to occasional indulgence.

According to a study released in the journal Neurology on Dec. 17, 2025, the consumption of high-fat dairy products (including cheeses like brie, mascarpone, camembert and cheddar, as well as full-fat cream) is correlated with a lower incidence of dementia. The study looked specifically at both Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.

Wait — is cheese actually good for you?

The study, conducted in Sweden, followed more than 27,600 participants for 25 years. Data was gathered utilizing a self-reported methodology including a seven-day food diary, food frequency questionnaire and a dietary interview.

Over the course of that quarter-century, some 3,208 dementia cases were diagnosed in the cohort, according to the Swedish National Patient Register. Interestingly, an inverse correlation was found between higher consumption of high-fat dairy products (high-fat cheeses and cream, fox example) and both Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.

In fact, compared with those who didn’t touch the stuff, those who consumed at least 20 grams of full-fat dairy (30% or more milkfat) were 16% less likely to develop dementia for either cause. (Twenty grams of cheese comes out to a little bit less than an ounce of cheddar cheese or heavy cream — so really not that much.)

Meanwhile, consumption of low-fat cheese, low-fat cream, both high- and low-fat milk, both high- and low-fat fermented milk and butter showed no association either way with all-cause dementia.

It’s important to understand that, even with this seemingly counterintuitive finding, there are well-established health risks associated with consumption of high levels of saturated fat (such as what’s found in heavy cream and high-fat cheeses). While some dietary fat is healthy (and even necessary), high amounts of saturated fat can increase your risk of certain types of heart disease and increase the amount of LDL cholesterol — the bad one — in your blood.

Still, this study does suggest there may be some protective effect at work when it comes to certain types of neurological degeneration and the consumption of high-fat dairy. (Plus, it’s just nice to hear, in any context, that cheese might be even a little bit good for you.)

Caring for your health, dietary and otherwise, in the New Year

As a brand-new year begins, many readers will likely be focused on improving their health through diet, exercise, and other measures. And if you want to discuss your personal cheese consumption with a professional, good news: In some cases, insurance may pay for a nutritionist. (Certain insurance policies may also pay for GLP-1 agonist weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, if you qualify.)

For those who are facing dementia diagnoses or caring for loved ones with the disease, long-term care insurance can go a long way toward offsetting high costs of care. This product, like any insurance coverage, is best purchased before a diagnosis, though it can be possible (if challenging) to purchase insurance products with preexisting conditions.

According to Alzheimers.gov, other ways to prevent dementia include keeping your blood pressure in check, managing your blood pressure, maintaining a healthy weight and staying active, all of which don’t usually play well with a diet very high in saturated fats. Still, a little cheese can go a long way — and may, in fact, actually work in your favor when it comes to preventing certain types of disease.