Cheese and Cholesterol

It is not shown to lower LDL against a diet with less dairy fat.

That result is why researchers talk about the dairy matrix, the food structure around the fat. For the fat numbers and the intake limit, see saturated fat in cheese; this page is about blood cholesterol. It is general information, not medical advice, and anyone with high cholesterol should check with their doctor or a registered dietitian.

What the cheese and cholesterol trials found

What the cheese and cholesterol trials found is best seen in a 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis in Advances in Nutrition by Pradeilles, Norris, Sellem and Markey, the updated analysis of randomized trials. It pooled 7 fasting trials with 264 adults comparing cheese with butter.

Participants ate hard or semi-hard cheese (Samso, Jarlsberg, cheddar and similar), about 135 grams a day on average, for 14 to 42 days, against about 52 grams of butter. Relative to butter, cheese lowered total cholesterol by 0.24 mmol/L (95% CI 0.15 to 0.34) and LDL cholesterol by 0.19 mmol/L (0.12 to 0.27). An earlier 2015 review in Nutrition Reviews found 12 trials, and in the 5 that compared hard cheese with butter, LDL was 6.5 percent lower on cheese.

The authors concluded that dairy fat eaten as cheese affects blood lipids differently from some other dairy structures.

Cheese and cholesterol: what the trials cannot show

Cheese and cholesterol trials cannot show that cheese improves your numbers, for three reasons.

• The comparison is butter. Lower than butter is not lower than no cheese. A trial can find cheese better than butter and still leave LDL higher than a low-fat diet would.
• They are short. Weeks of feeding, with 135 grams of cheese a day, say little about years of ordinary eating.
• Results vary. The 2023 review reported heterogeneity between trials, and a 2024 narrative review in Frontiers in Nutrition called effects of cheese on LDL inconsistent across analyses.

Individual response also varies, which is the point of a personal blood test.

Cheese and heart disease risk in cohort studies

Cheese and heart disease risk is a different question from blood lipids, and cohort studies address it. A 2021 meta-analysis in Advances in Nutrition by Chen and colleagues pooled 55 prospective cohorts. Higher cheese intake was associated with lower coronary heart disease risk (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.84 to 0.97) and, at the border of significance, stroke (0.94, 0.88 to 1.00). The authors rated the evidence low to moderate and found no harmful association.

These are associations. People who eat more cheese may differ in other ways, and cohort studies cannot prove cheese protects the heart. Read together with the trials, they argue against calling cheese a clear cause of heart disease, not for eating unlimited amounts. The wider heart-health picture is in cheese and the French paradox.

Dietary cholesterol in cheese per ounce

Dietary cholesterol in cheese per ounce is modest next to the 300 mg Daily Value in 21 CFR 101.9. These USDA SR Legacy values are for one ounce (28 g).

An ounce of cheddar is about 9 percent of the cholesterol Daily Value. Blood LDL is driven by many things besides the cholesterol in food, and the trials above measured full-fat cheese, so the table is for portion planning, not a prediction of your lipids.

Choosing cheese with cholesterol in mind

Choosing cheese with cholesterol in mind comes down to portions and swaps, and your clinician's targets come first.

• Weigh a serving. One ounce is a domino-sized piece; the protein guide shows what ounces look like.
• Swap the everyday cheese. Part-skim mozzarella, ricotta and cottage cheese carry far less saturated fat, while low-sodium cheese options keep the salt down too.
• Mind what surrounds it. Cheese on a burger with processed meat is a different meal from cheese with fruit and nuts.

Cheese and cholesterol mistakes

Cheese and cholesterol advice goes wrong in two ways. One is quoting "cheese lowers LDL" without the words "relative to butter." The other is dropping cheese entirely, though the cohort data show no harm at usual intakes, while keeping a daily habit of several ounces of full-fat cheese. Ask about your own case.

Questions about cheese and cholesterol

These are short answers about cheese and cholesterol.

Does cheese raise cholesterol?

Cheese raises LDL cholesterol less than butter with the same fat in trials, but it is not shown to lower it versus less dairy fat. Individual responses differ.

Is cheese bad for LDL cholesterol?

Cheese and LDL cholesterol are linked through its saturated fat, though a 2023 meta-analysis found LDL 0.19 mmol/L lower on cheese than on butter. Ask your doctor what suits your numbers.

How much cholesterol is in cheese?

Cholesterol in cheese is 28 mg per ounce for cheddar and 18 mg for part-skim mozzarella in USDA data. The Daily Value is 300 mg.

What is the best cheese for high cholesterol?

The best cheese for high cholesterol depends on your doctor's advice, but lower-fat options such as part-skim ricotta (1.4 g saturated fat per ounce) or cottage cheese (0.2 g) keep fat low.

Can you eat cheese with high cholesterol?

Cheese with high cholesterol is a decision to make with a doctor or dietitian, since the trials do not show whether cheese is safe for any one person.

Cheese and cholesterol: next step

Cheese and cholesterol studies are reassuring about cheese against butter but silent on your own blood work. Weigh your portion, favor lower-fat cheeses for daily use, and bring your lipid results to a professional. For sodium, see cheese and blood pressure.