Japanese researchers suggest cheese consumption may help prevent dementia - Video

Scientists have found that eating cheese at least once a week may protect older adults from developing dementia. A new study published in Nutrients analyzed data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) and revealed that weekly cheese consumers had a significantly lower risk of dementia compared to non-consumers. Older Japanese adults who included cheese in their diet showed up to a 24% reduced risk of dementia, even after accounting for age, education, lifestyle, and health factors.

Cheese contains bioactive nutrients such as vitamin K₂, peptides, and probiotics that may support brain and vascular health. These compounds influence anti-inflammatory and metabolic pathways that protect neurons. With Japan’s rapidly aging population, projected to see dementia cases rise to 5.8 million by 2040, even modest dietary habits like cheese intake could have important preventive value.

Researchers used data from 10,180 adults aged 65 and older who were free of dementia at baseline. Participants were drawn from the 2019 JAGES survey and linked to long-term care insurance records through 2022. After excluding incomplete data, 7,914 individuals were propensity-score-matched into two groups: 3,957 weekly cheese consumers and 3,957 non-consumers. Cheese intake was defined as eating cheese at least once per week. Dementia diagnoses were identified via new long-term care certifications. Using a Cox proportional hazards model, the team calculated hazard ratios after adjusting for socioeconomic, health, and dietary factors.

Over three years, 3.4% of cheese consumers developed dementia compared to 4.5% of non-consumers, equating to about 10 fewer cases per 1,000 people. Weekly cheese intake was linked to a 21–24% reduction in dementia risk, a result that remained significant after dietary adjustments. Kaplan–Meier curves also showed higher dementia-free survival among cheese eaters. While processed cheese was most common, fermented varieties like Camembert may offer stronger neuroprotective benefits.

Lead author Dr. Yumi Tani noted that even small, regular cheese intake could contribute to healthy aging. Although causation cannot be confirmed, these findings highlight diet’s potential role in preserving cognitive function in older adults.

REFERENCE: Jeong, S., Suzuki, T., Inoue, Y., Bang, E., Nakamura, K., Sasaki, M., Kondo, K. (2025). Cheese Consumption and Incidence of Dementia in Community-Dwelling Older Japanese Adults: The JAGES 2019–2022 Cohort Study. Nutrients 17(21), 3363. DOI: 10.3390/nu17213363, https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/21/3363