Cheese is big business. The average American eats around 17 kilograms a year, while Europeans munch through more than 18 kilos. Even in Asia, consumption is on the rise. If you’re a die-hard cheese fan, you’re probably consuming your mozzarella and ricotta (Italian cheese are now the most popular in the United States) with a side of guilt. After all, cheese has long had a bad rap because of its high saturated fat content, which is considered bad for heart health.
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Research is starting to suggest, however, that the issue may be more complex. One study published in 2018 showed dairy fats such as cheese had a neutral-to-positive effect on the heart. A 2018 review from Harvard researchers concluded there was a “null or weak inverse association between consumption of dairy products and risk of cardiovascular disease”, though it said more research was needed. A study from the Lancet medical journal found dairy products such as cheese were linked to a lower mortality risk.
According to dietician Jennifer Glockner, recent studies have indicated “that cheese may actually offer protective properties on the heart”, though she also noted that they were observational and did not prove cause and effect. Cheese does provide some beneficial nutrients, she said, “including protein; calcium for bone and teeth health; zinc, which promotes wound-healing and immunity; vitamin A for eye and skin health, and B12.”
None of this means you should start consuming cheese indiscriminately; you should take care when adding it to your diet. Which cheeses are healthiest? It can be tough to offer hard-and-fast guidelines because each variety has its own nutritional profile, and cheeses can be broken up into categories in myriad ways, whether you group them by the kind of rind, milk source or production style. But with the help of experts, we’ve come up with some general guidelines, as well as other factors to consider when making cheese part of a healthy diet.
We rank some favourite cheeses by how healthy they are.
TL;DR
The dietitians we talked to recommended these cheeses to address specific health concerns.
To reduce sodium: Swiss, goat, Emmental, or Wensleydale
To boost calcium: Manchego, Emmental, Parmesan, Romano, Gruyere, or Swiss
To increase protein: cottage cheese, ricotta, Romano or Parmesan
To boost gut health: Raw, unpasteurised cheddar, feta, Gouda, Edam, caciocavallo, Emmental, or Gruyere
To cope with lactose sensitivity: hard cheeses such as cheddar, Parmesan, Swiss, asiago, manchego and Pecorino Romano
