Cheese and Blood Pressure: A Sodium Per Ounce Guide

The fat, which gets more attention, is covered on the saturated fat in cheese and cheese and cholesterol pages.

Salt is added in cheesemaking to control moisture and microbes, so most cheese contains some, and how much depends on the type. This page is general information, not medical advice, and anyone with high blood pressure should check with their doctor or a registered dietitian about their own limit.

Sodium limits for blood pressure

Sodium limits for blood pressure start with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans: the 2025 to 2030 edition sets less than 2,300 mg a day from age 14 and less for younger children, the same limits as the 2020 to 2025 edition summarized by its authors. The FDA label Daily Value is the same 2,300 mg under 21 CFR 101.9.

The NHLBI DASH eating plan uses 2,300 mg as its standard and says 1,500 mg lowers blood pressure even further. Your clinician may set a different target.

Sodium in cheese per ounce

Sodium in cheese per ounce varies about a hundredfold, so type matters far more than the word "cheese." These are USDA SR Legacy values for one ounce (28 g), with the share of the 2,300 mg limit.

Brined and blue cheeses sit at the top because salt is part of how they are made and kept. Fresh, wet cheeses and Swiss sit at the bottom. The high protein cheeses guide has the same sodium figures per gram of protein.

Lower-sodium cheese choices

Lower-sodium cheese choices fall in two groups: naturally low cheeses and products made with less salt. Among naturally low types, Swiss has 53 mg an ounce, ricotta 28 mg for part skim, and fresh mozzarella is moderate. The Swiss cheese guide explains why Swiss stays low.

USDA also lists reduced-salt versions, and the numbers are striking:

These are listings in USDA's older database, so check that a product sold near you matches. The low-sodium cheese page covers what to look for.

What the research says about cheese and blood pressure

What the research says about cheese and blood pressure is less alarming than the sodium numbers might suggest. A 2021 meta-analysis in Advances in Nutrition by Chen and colleagues examined 18 studies of dairy and hypertension. High total dairy intake was associated with a 9 percent lower hypertension risk (RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.86 to 0.95). For cheese alone, there was no difference: RR 0.97 (0.94 to 1.01) for high versus low intake, and the quality of evidence was rated very low.

These are observational associations and say nothing about any one person's reading. They also do not mean salt is irrelevant. A cheese habit adds sodium to a day, and the total from all foods is what the limits count.

Eating cheese with high blood pressure

Eating cheese with high blood pressure is mostly a matter of counting sodium across the day, not removing cheese.

• Pick low-sodium types such as Swiss, ricotta and unsalted cottage cheese for everyday use.
• Use strong cheese as a seasoning. A tablespoon of grated Parmesan has far less sodium than a slice of process American.
• Rinse or soak brined cheese. Soaking feta in water for a short time draws out some salt; this is common kitchen practice, not a measured figure.
• Watch the company it keeps. Crackers, cured meats and olives often add more sodium than the cheese. See the feta page for brine details.

How salt gets into cheese

Salt gets into cheese in three common ways: stirred into the curd, rubbed or sprinkled on the surface of the wheel, or soaked in a brine bath. Each does a job. Salt slows the growth of unwanted microbes, helps expel whey so the cheese firms, and shapes flavor. This is general cheesemaking practice, not a figure from a single study.

The method hints at the sodium level. Feta and other brined cheeses sit in salty liquid for weeks, and hard aged wheels such as Romano lose water over time, so the same salt is packed into less cheese. Fresh cheeses are drained, not aged, and get less. Process American adds emulsifying salts, which helps explain its high number. Knowing this lets you guess before reading the label.

Cheese and blood pressure mistakes

Cheese and blood pressure advice trips on two points. Low-fat does not mean low-sodium: USDA lists nonfat cheddar at 284 mg an ounce, more than regular cheddar at 185. And "natural" does not help, since Roquefort is natural and the saltiest cheese in the table.

Questions about cheese and blood pressure

These are short answers about cheese and blood pressure.

Is cheese bad for blood pressure?

Cheese and blood pressure link mainly through sodium, but a 2021 meta-analysis found no difference in hypertension risk between high and low cheese intake. Evidence quality was very low.

Which cheese is lowest in sodium?

The lowest-sodium cheese is a low-sodium version of Swiss, mozzarella or cheddar at 4 to 6 mg an ounce in USDA data. Among regular cheeses, part-skim ricotta has 28 mg and Swiss 53 mg.

Which cheese is highest in sodium?

The highest-sodium cheese in this list is Roquefort at 513 mg an ounce, followed by process American at 474 mg and Romano at 406 mg.

How much sodium should you have a day?

How much sodium you should have a day is under 2,300 mg in the Dietary Guidelines, and DASH has a 1,500 mg level. Ask your doctor which applies to you.

Can you eat cheese with high blood pressure?

Cheese with high blood pressure depends on your limit and your doctor's advice. Many people choose lower-sodium types and measure portions.

Cheese and blood pressure: next step

Cheese and blood pressure get easier once you read the sodium line per ounce. Compare two labels at the counter, favor Swiss, ricotta or reduced-sodium cheese for daily use, and save feta, blue and Romano for small amounts.