SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Aging
Sec. Interventions in Aging
This article is part of the Research TopicNutritional Strategies for Enhancing Longevity and Healthy AgingView all 9 articles
Effect of milk and dairy intake on cognitive function in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Provisionally accepted
Yessica Giraldo-Castrillon
Juan Diego Mendoza
Marianne Lopez-Cabrera
Jose P Lopez-Lopez
Patricio Lopez-Jaramillo*- Universidad de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia
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Abstract Introduction: Cognitive aging represents a growing challenge for global public health. Nutrition could have a beneficial effect in preserving cognitive function, and dairy products have been proposed as neuroprotective due to their nutrient density and bioactive compounds. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we evaluated the association between milk and dairy product intake and cognitive function in older adults. Methods: The systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, LILACS, and Google Scholar through August 9th, 2025, including randomized clinical trials (RCT) and observational studies evaluating dairy intake versus low or no intake in adults aged ≥60 years. Meta-analysis were conducted using a random-effects model, and methodological quality was assessed using RoB 2.0 (Risk of Bias), ROBINS-I (Risk Of Bias in Non-randomized Studies), and GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation). Results: 22 studies were included (11 RCT, 11 observational studies; n=47.100), of which 5 RCT (n= 369) and 5 observational (n= 5.302) studies were analyzed by meta-analysis. RCT revealed significant positive effects on global cognition [Standardized Mean Difference - SMD-) = 0.45; 95%CI: 0.30 - 0.60], memory, and processing speed. This effect was associated in fermented and fortified products, with moderate to high certainty. In observational studies no positive effect emerged (Odds Ratio [OR] = 0.95 95%CI: 0.89– 1.02). Conclusion: Our findings support the potential of dairy intake as a nutritional strategy to preserve cognitive function in older adults, with implications for clinical practice, public health, and food policy design.
Keywords: Aging, cognitive decline, Dairy intake, older adults, nutrition, Systematic review, Meta-analysis
Received: 19 Sep 2025; Accepted: 27 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Giraldo-Castrillon, Mendoza, Lopez-Cabrera, Lopez-Lopez and Lopez-Jaramillo. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Patricio Lopez-Jaramillo
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