Cheese

Studies in people

• No harm found

  Long-term health effects⁴

  Long-term cheese consumption was not linked to a higher risk of dying from any cause.

• Open question

  Heart disease risk⁵

  Studies on cheese and heart disease give mixed results, and scientists do not yet know whether cheese affects heart risk.

• Open question

  Vitamin D levels in blood⁶

  Vitamin D3 added to mozzarella cheese on pizza raised blood levels in people who ate it weekly.

Study type not stated

• Benefit

  Blood pressure and bones⁹

  Cheese like Parmigiano Reggiano contains peptides that may help keep blood pressure steady, plus calcium your body absorbs well.

Found in some samples or products

These come from where it was grown, how it was processed or cooked, or what it was made into. They are not about the ingredient itself, so the signal does not count them.

• Drug residues in dairy¹¹

  Most antibiotics in goat's milk stay in fresh cheese, which may help germs become harder to treat.

How it’s made and used

• Peppermint oil sensory scores³

  Cheeses with peppermint oil added scored higher for flavor, body and texture than plain cheese.

• Blood amino acid response⁷

  In people, cheese gave a slower, longer rise in blood amino acids and a gentler insulin response than milk.

• Colour and perceived naturalness⁸

  Shoppers saw white and light orange Cheddar cheese as more natural than dark orange Cheddar cheese.

• Seasonal flavor differences¹⁰

  Idiazabal cheese made in June tasted more bitter and sweet, while February batches scored higher for typical flavor.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.