Cheddar Cheese vs. Milk — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison
Summary
Cheese has higher amounts of protein, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins B2, B12, and A. Meanwhile, milk has little fat and cholesterol. Levels of sodium and fat in cheese have to be taken into consideration. Moderate consumption of both is considered beneficial.
Table of contents
Introduction
Cheese and milk are dairy products that are usually consumed daily. Cheese is a derivative of milk from cattle, thus classifying it as dairy. Therefore, both cannot be consumed in a vegan diet.
For individuals who do not consume dairy products, vegans are available, for example, non-dairy versions of cheese and milk. It is important to note that this comparative analysis will not discuss vegan versions of cheese and milk.
Given the large variety of cheese worldwide, we will focus on cheddar in this analysis. We will also be focusing on low-fat milk throughout the article.
This text will examine the differences and similarities between milk and cheese and how they impact our health.
Processing of milk into cheese
To make cheese, milk should undergo a process. First, we should heat the milk and we should add acids. This will cause the proteins to solidify and transform the milk into curds.
The curds are mainly composed of casein, proteins in milk. These cards are collected, salted, and dried, forming cheese. The processing may take long durations; thus, aged cheese is classified in that category.
History
Processing and consumption of cheese and milk date back to 7000-6000 years ago. All cultures around the world consume cheese and milk.
Culinary world
Cheese is considered one of the most used elements in the culinary world and can be used for savory and sweet foods. Milk is considered one of the base elements that are required for cooking. It is also the primary source of all dairy derivatives.
Nutrition
Cheese and milk are some of the fundamental elements in worldwide gastronomy.
They are among the foods that contain the highest amounts of calcium.
The following section will cover their differences related to nutritional data.
Calories
Cheese is higher in calories compared to milk. Cheese has 404 calories per 100g, while milk has 42 calories per 100g.
Carbs
Cheese contains 3.09g of carbs; on the other hand, milk contains 4.99g of carbs. The amounts of carbs are low in both, as they make up to 2% of the daily required values.
Lactose
Milk contains higher amounts of lactose compared to cheddar cheese. Milk comprises 4.99g of lactose, most of its carbohydrate content.
Proteins
Cheese is obtained after processing (curdling) milk and solidifying its protein, meaning cheese has a higher protein content than milk. Cheese contains 23g of protein, while milk contains 3g. The protein amount is approximately 7.6x higher in cheese compared to milk.
Fats
Cheese also has higher amounts of fat compared to milk.
Cheese contains 33g of fats, which makes up 51% of the daily recommended value, subdivided into 19g of saturated fats, constituting 95% of the daily recommended value.
The fat in milk is negligible, as it has 1g of fat per 100g.
For cholesterol, cheese contains 99mg of cholesterol which makes 33% of the daily recommended value. In comparison, milk contains 5mg of cholesterol, considered negligible.
Glycemic index
Both cheese and milk are categorized as low glycemic index foods, although they differ. The glycemic index of cheese is 27, while the glycemic index of milk is 38.
Vitamins
Cheese is richer in Vitamins B2, B12, and A than milk. Cheese is also considered a good source of vitamins A and B2.
Milk is richer in vitamin D compared to cheese. However, this amount is not very high compared to other foods.
Vitamin Comparison
Minerals
Like the vitamin content, cheese is richer in calcium, phosphorus, sodium, zinc, selenium, and magnesium.
Due to its high sodium content, we should monitor cheese consumption for patients with hypertension and kidney impairment.
Calcium
Cheese is considered in the top 5% of foods rich in calcium and satisfies 71% of the required daily value. However, milk has less calcium than cheese since it only satisfies 12% of the required daily value.
Mineral Comparison
Weight loss and diets
Vegan
Cheese and milk are excluded from vegan diets because they are dairy products.
Keto
In the keto diet, we can consume milk in minimal amounts. Whole milk is recommended to be used due to its higher fat content. However, 1 cup of whole milk contains 50% of the carbohydrate amount allowed to be consumed while on a keto diet.
On the other hand, cheese is a keto-friendly food that we can consume due to its low-carb, high-fat composition.
Dairy-free
Lactose-intolerant people cannot digest lactose which is present in both cheese and milk. Although with scientific advancements, this obstacle is somehow resolved by giving pills that contain lactase enzymes that digest lactose. However, this doesn't help all lactose-intolerant individuals, and they should follow a dairy-free diet. (1)
People with milk allergies should also follow a dairy-free diet and may substitute milk with milk alternatives.
Weight loss
Consuming milk is the perfect choice for weight loss as it is low in calories. However, one should not cut out cheese consumption completely, even on a weight loss diet, because of all the essential nutrients, like vitamins and minerals, specifically calcium. Consumption in low to moderate amounts is vital so that malnourishment doesn't occur.
Health impacts
Health benefits
Cardiovascular health
Consumption of dairy products, in moderation, which is rich in calcium and phosphorus, in this case, cheese, has beneficial effects on decreasing hypertension in patients with high blood pressure (2,3).
It should be noted that people taking MAO inhibitors (particularly antidepressants, for example, Phenelzine) may experience a hypertensive crisis when eating dairy products that contain tyramine (4).
Diabetes
Studies have shown that moderate consumption of dairy, including cheese and low-fat milk, decreases the risks of developing type 2 diabetes. (5)
Cheese and milk have low glycemic indices, meaning they do not increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. (6)
Cancer
Consumption of dairy has shown decreased risks of developing colorectal and bladder cancers. (7)
Downsides & Risks
Cardiovascular health
Consumption in moderate amounts has shown that milk and cheese consumption can neutral or positively affect cardiovascular health.
Although, overconsumption of cheese that contains higher amounts of fats and sodium might negatively affect cardiovascular health and hypertension.
Cancer
Consumption of milk increases the risk of developing prostate cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and breast cancer.
In addition to that, cheese is associated with an increased risk of breast and prostate cancers. (8)
Neurologic
Frequent consumptions of dairy, including cheese and milk, have a slight positive correlation with increasing the risk of developing Parkinson's disease.
Intolerance and allergies
As previously mentioned, milk contains more lactose than cheese, which makes it harder to digest for lactose-intolerant people, causing bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps.
Individuals with a milk allergy may have hives, wheezing, itching, vomiting, or mainly digestive symptoms, such as diarrhea, cramps, and bloody stools.
References
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27706451/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26786887/
- Relations between dairy product intake and blood pressure
- https://europepmc.org/article/med/3283290
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23945722/
- https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/76/1/274S/4689498
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22081693/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6352799/
Infographic
Macronutrient Comparison
Fat Type Comparison
Carbohydrate type comparison
Comparison summary table
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| Lower in Sodium |
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| Lower in Cholesterol |
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| Lower in Saturated Fat |
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| Lower in price |
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| Lower in Sugar |
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| Lower in Glycemic Index |
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| Rich in minerals |
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| Rich in vitamins |
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All nutrients comparison - raw data values
| Nutrient | |
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Opinion |
| Net carbs | 3.09g | 4.99g |
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| Protein | 22.87g | 3.37g |
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| Fats | 33.31g | 0.97g |
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| Carbs | 3.09g | 4.99g |
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| Calories | 404kcal | 42kcal |
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| Sugar | 0.48g | 5.2g |
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| Calcium | 710mg | 125mg |
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| Iron | 0.14mg | 0.03mg |
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| Magnesium | 27mg | 11mg |
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| Phosphorus | 455mg | 95mg |
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| Potassium | 76mg | 150mg |
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| Sodium | 653mg | 44mg |
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| Zinc | 3.64mg | 0.42mg |
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| Copper | 0.03mg | 0.01mg |
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| Manganese | 0.027mg | 0.003mg |
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| Selenium | 28.5µg | 3.3µg |
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| Vitamin A | 1242IU | 196IU |
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| Vitamin A RAE | 330µg | 58µg |
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| Vitamin E | 0.71mg | 0.01mg |
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| Vitamin D | 24IU | 48IU |
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| Vitamin D | 0.6µg | 1.2µg |
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| Vitamin B1 | 0.029mg | 0.02mg |
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| Vitamin B2 | 0.428mg | 0.185mg |
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| Vitamin B3 | 0.059mg | 0.093mg |
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| Vitamin B5 | 0.41mg | 0.361mg |
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| Vitamin B6 | 0.066mg | 0.037mg |
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| Folate | 27µg | 5µg |
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| Vitamin B12 | 1.1µg | 0.47µg |
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| Vitamin K | 2.4µg | 0.1µg |
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| Tryptophan | 0.547mg | 0.043mg |
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| Threonine | 1.044mg | 0.143mg |
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| Isoleucine | 1.206mg | 0.174mg |
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| Leucine | 1.939mg | 0.319mg |
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| Lysine | 1.025mg | 0.282mg |
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| Methionine | 0.547mg | 0.088mg |
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| Phenylalanine | 1.074mg | 0.174mg |
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| Valine | 1.404mg | 0.22mg |
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| Histidine | 0.547mg | 0.101mg |
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| Cholesterol | 99mg | 5mg |
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| Trans Fat | 0.917g |
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| Saturated Fat | 18.867g | 0.633g |
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| Omega-3 - DHA | 0.001g | 0g |
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| Omega-3 - EPA | 0.01g | 0g |
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| Omega-3 - DPA | 0.017g | 0g |
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| Monounsaturated Fat | 9.246g | 0.277g |
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| Polyunsaturated fat | 1.421g | 0.035g |
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| Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid | 0.007g |
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| Omega-6 - Linoleic acid | 0.027g |
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| Omega-3 - ALA | 0.004g |
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Which food is preferable for your diet?
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| Low Fats diet |
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| Low Carbs diet |
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| Low Calories diet |
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| Low Glycemic Index diet |
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People also compare
Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
Comparison summary
References
All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.
- Cheddar Cheese - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173414/nutrients
- Milk - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170872/nutrients
All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.