Hi Reader

A wonderful question landed in my inbox this week from one of you — and I suspect quite a few people have been quietly wondering the same thing. Is cheese healthy? Or should we be feeling guilty every time we reach for the cheese board?

I'll be honest with you: this is one of those topics where the science is genuinely all over the place. There are hundreds of studies on cheese and health, and they don't all agree with each other. For every study saying cheese raises your cholesterol, there's another saying it protects your heart. For every headline warning you off dairy, there's a researcher pointing to its gut health benefits. It's confusing — and if you've ever felt bewildered by the contradictory advice, that's entirely understandable.

The research on cheese is genuinely contradictory. And that, in itself, tells us something important: the answer probably isn't black and white."

The case for cheese — and the caveats

Let's look at what the studies actually show, because some of it might surprise you.

REASONS TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT

• A large 2023 review found that eating around 40g of cheese a day was linked to lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular death
• Despite its saturated fat content, recent studies suggest cheese may actually improve lipid metabolism and help lower triglyceride levels
• A 2025 study of 400,000 people found cheese eaters had a 28% lower risk of sleep apnoea
• It's a brilliant source of calcium, protein, B vitamins, and phosphorus
• Traditionally aged cheeses contain live bacteria that can benefit your gut microbiome
• ​

WORTH BEING MINDFUL OF

• High in saturated fat — though researchers now question whether this is as harmful as once thought
• Can be high in sodium, which matters if you're managing blood pressure
• A 2022 study found no significant effect on blood pressure at all — so even the concerns are contradicted
• Highly processed cheese products (slices, spreads) have far fewer benefits than traditional aged varieties
• If you're lactose intolerant or dairy-sensitive

This is where it gets really interesting

Because so much of what I do centres on gut health, I want to highlight something the headlines often miss. Cheese — particularly traditionally made, aged cheese — is a fermented food. And fermented foods are wonderful for your microbiome.

During the ageing process, cheese develops live bacterial cultures — the same kind that make yoghurt and kefir so beneficial. These cultures can help increase microbial diversity in your gut, which is one of the markers we look at for long-term health. Research published in 2025 found that these live cultures, alongside the short-chain fatty acids and bioactive compounds produced during fermentation, can help strengthen your gut lining, reduce inflammation, and support your immune system.

THE CHEESES WORTH SEEKING OUT

If gut health is your priority, go for aged, traditionally made varieties: Gruyère, aged Cheddar, Parmesan, Gouda, Stilton and other blue cheeses. These are most likely to retain live cultures. Avoid highly processed cheese products — slices, spreads, and anything with a very long ingredients list — as pasteurisation and processing destroy the beneficial bacteria.

What I actually think — as a chef and a health coach

I've been cooking with cheese for as long as I can remember, and I'm not about to stop. But here's what I keep coming back to, both in my kitchen and in my coaching work: quality matters more than quantity.

A small amount of a really good, properly made cheese — something from a local dairy, a beautiful aged Cornish Yarg, a great farmhouse Cheddar — is genuinely different from a block of processed mild cheese. In flavour, yes, but also in nutritional value and in what it does in your body.

And as with so much of what I talk about, the answer really does come down to: eat it in moderation, buy the best quality you can afford, and vary what you choose. Don't have the same thing every day. Mix it up. Enjoy it properly — with good bread, with fruit, as part of a meal — rather than mindlessly grazing.

Ultimately, though, this is your choice. My job isn't to tell you what to eat. It's to help you understand the evidence so you can make an informed decision that works for your body, your preferences, and your life. Some people thrive with dairy; others do better without. That's not a failing — it's biology.

If you're curious about how cheese (or any other food) fits into your own picture of health, that's exactly the kind of conversation we can have in a coaching session. I love nothing more than digging into the detail with someone and helping them find an approach that actually works for them — not just what the latest study says.

Curious about how gut health coaching could work for you?
My Foundation Session is a great place to start. Email me to find out more

Until next time — eat well, eat with pleasure, and don't let anyone make you feel guilty about a good cheese board 😊

Rebecca x