Don’t Cut the Cheese

There are few certainties in life, but this seems like one of them: Whatever you’re currently told to eat for optimum health will one day be viewed as lethal, and whatever ingredients are demonized today will be celebrated in the near future. So it shouldn’t surprise anyone that after decades of being sold on the nonfat food craze, we’re learning that dairy fat is good. NYT (Gift Article): A Study Linked Cheese to Lower Dementia Risk. (Maybe, Cheeseheads have been trying to signal the cheese/brain connection all these years.) “In a large new study published today, researchers found that eating high-fat cheese or cream was associated with a lower risk of developing dementia. Cheese lovers may cheer. But be careful about celebrating with an entire block of your favorite Cheddar.” Yes, the study is about correlation and not causation. And experts aren’t quite sure which particular factors are at work. There’s certainly no guarantee that high-fat dairy will turn you into a cheese whiz. But it’s 2025, and we’re craving reasons to smile and say cheese. So let’s chew the fat while we can … and as fast as we can, since it’s only a matter of time before we’re told that today’s advice regarding cheese is completely crackers.

+ Exercise science, for better or worse, is as consistent as dietary advice is inconsistent. WaPo (Gift Article): Want a younger, healthier brain? This type of exercise can help. “If you need another reason to visit the gym this winter, a new study of almost 1,200 healthy, middle-aged men and women found that those with more muscle mass tended to have younger brains than those with less muscle.”