Can I eat cheese if I’m looking after my heart?

The Australian Dietary Guidelines recognise the importance of including milk, cheese and yoghurt in the diet, particularly for reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke and hypertension.¹ Dairy foods are not bad for your heart - consumption of saturated fat from dairy foods such as cheese is not associated with the risk of heart disease. 

Cheese was once thought to compromise cardiovascular health due to its relatively high salt and saturated fat content. This is why some health professionals still recommend limiting dairy in the diet, particularly regular or higher-fat varieties. 

However, there is now substantial scientific evidence to show, unlike saturated fat from other animal products, consumption of saturated fat from dairy foods such as cheese is not associated with the risk of heart disease.²

This is because when nutrients such as saturated fat and sodium are eaten as part of a food, together with other essential nutrients and bioactive components, as in the case of dairy foods, they work together to affect health rather than how you would expect them to act as nutrients on their own. 

Studies also show that people who regularly consume milk, yoghurt and cheese (including regular-fat varieties) are more likely to have a reduced risk of heart disease than those who don’t. 

The Australian Dietary Guidelines suggest all types of milk, cheese and yoghurt are associated with health benefits including a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension and type 2 diabetes. 

If you’re someone who has high cholesterol or an existing heart condition, you can still consume dairy. Simply opt for low-fat milk, cheese and yoghurt to be on the safe side.³

Third party references are provided below. 

References 

1.  National Health and Medical Research Council. Australian Dietary Guidelines Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia; 2013.
2. Drouin-Chartier, J. P., Brassard, D., Tessier-Grenier, M., Côté, J. A., Labonté, M. È., Desroches, S., Couture, P., & Lamarche, B. (2016). Systematic Review of the Association between Dairy Product Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular-Related Clinical Outcomes. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 7(6), 1026–1040. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.115.011403
3. Heart Foundation. (2023). Dairy and heart healthy eating: Dietary position statement. National Heart Foundation of Australia. https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/blt8a393bb3b76c0ede/blt9ddc5fa8a9af4f6d/Dairy-Heart-Healthy-Eating-Dietary-Position-Statement.pdf