At Ingredient Solutions, we’re passionate about dairy—and it’s always satisfying when the science backs up what cheese lovers have known all along: cheese can be a nutritious, heart-friendly part of your diet.
A brand-new study published in Atherosclerosis (2025) by researchers at University College Dublin has taken a closer look at how cheese affects cholesterol—and whether men and women respond differently to it. The results are fascinating and great news for the dairy industry.
🧀 The Study at a Glance
Researchers analysed data from two clinical trials involving 164 middle-aged adults. Participants were assigned to one of two groups: one consumed 120g of full-fat Irish cheddar daily, while the other had a “deconstructed cheese” mix of butter, protein, and calcium supplement—designed to match the cheese for nutrients, but without the cheese matrix.
The idea? To see if the form in which dairy fat is consumed (whole cheese vs. isolated components) influences cholesterol levels—and whether sex plays a role in how the body responds.
✅ What They Found
- Cheese lowered total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, despite being a source of saturated fat.
- The cheese matrix matters. Participants eating actual cheese had better cholesterol outcomes than those eating the same ingredients separately.
- Women especially benefited from cheese: they saw a notable drop in total and LDL cholesterol with cheese, while the deconstructed mix led to increases.
- For men, both versions slightly reduced cholesterol, but not as dramatically.
- No negative effects were found on other health markers like blood pressure or blood sugar.
🧬 Why Does It Matter?
This study reinforces the growing recognition that cheese is more than the sum of its parts. Its unique structure—a mix of fat, protein, calcium, and fermentation—may help buffer the impact of saturated fat on heart health. It also highlights the importance of personalised nutrition, with potential for sex-specific dietary recommendations in the future.
🌿 What This Means for Industry
For dairy producers and food developers, this is further proof that the matrix matters. Formulating products that retain the natural structure of cheese may offer health benefits that isolated ingredients can’t match.
And for retailers and consumers? It’s another reason to feel confident in choosing real cheese as part of a balanced diet—especially when it’s high-quality, full-fat, and naturally produced.
📚 Cited Study:
Rooney et al., The impact of sex and the cheese matrix on cholesterol metabolism in middle-aged adults. Atherosclerosis, 2025.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2025.119112
Download the full research paper here
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