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Is cheese good for you?

Cheese belongs to one of the five core food groups that is recommended in the Australian Dietary Guidelines and can be enjoyed as part of a well-balanced nutritious diet.Cheese belongs to one of the five core food groups that is recommended in the Australian Dietary Guidelines and can be enjoyed as part of a well-balanced nutritious diet.1

Last updated 31/01/2025

As well as being a great source of calcium, cheese also provides other essential micronutrients including vitamin A, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B12, Vitamin K, iodine, phosphorus, selenium and zinc. Cheese belongs to the dairy and alternatives food group which is one of the five food groups recommended every day in the Australian Dietary Guidelines.

The Australian Dietary Guidelines were developed by the National Health and Medical Research Council and provide recommendations about the amount and kinds of foods that you should eat for good health and well-being.

Cheese is made up of a highly complex matrix of nutrients which work together to have a positive effect on your health. There has been a lot of research done on the health benefits of cheese and other dairy foods. The findings show that eating cheese is linked to a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke, as well as reduced risk of overweight and obesity in children. It also has no association with type 2 diabetes, hypertension or overweight and obesity in adults.2-7 There is substantial evidence that shows, unlike saturated fat from other animal products, the saturated fat in dairy foods such as cheese is not associated with heart disease risk.8

Some people choose to avoid cheese due to its sodium content. The most recent Australian health survey found that only 4% of the total sodium eaten in the Australian diet comes from cheese (the major source being cereal-based products and dishes, followed by meat and poultry).9 Cheese also supplies significant amounts of calcium, as well as magnesium and potassium – minerals known to help reduce blood pressure.10

References

  • 1. National Health and Medical Research Council. Australian Dietary Guidelines Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia; 2013.
  • 2. Alexander DD et al., (2016) Dairy consumption and CVD: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Nutr 115, 737-50.
  • 3. De Goede et al., (2016) Dairy consumption and risk of stroke: a systematic review and updated dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. J Am Heart Assoc 5. pii: e002787. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.115.002787.
  • 4. Soedamah-Muthu SS et al., (2012) Dairy consumption and incidence of hypertension. A dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Hypertension 60, 1131-37.
  • 5. Gijsbers L et al., (2016) Consumption of dairy foods and diabetes incidence: a dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies. Am J Clin Nutr 103, 1111-24.
  • 6. Smith JD et al., (2015) Changes in intake of protein foods, carbohydrate amount and quality, and long-term weight changes: results from 3 prospective cohorts. Am J Clin Nutr 101, 1216-24.
  • 7. Lu L et al., (2016) Long-term association between dairy consumption and risk of childhood obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Eur J Clin Nutr 70, 414-23
  • 8. Chen M et al., (2016) Dairy fat and risk of cardiovascular disease in 3 cohorts of US adults. Am J Clin Nutr doi 10.3945/ajcn.116.134460.
  • 9. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Health Survey: Nutrition First Results – Foods and Nutrients, 2011-2012; Cat No. 4364.0.55.007. Australian Bureau of Statistics: Canberra, Australia, 2014.
  • 10. Houston MC & Harper KJ (2008) Potassium, magnesium, and calcium: their role in both the cause and treatment of hypertension. J Clin Hypertens 10, 7 suppl 2, 2-11.

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