A new 2025 study finds a protective association between dairy and heart health. But it's never so straight forward... Brie Ready... This is going to get Gouda!
Thanks for the punny insight! Great article and keep up the great work. I get excited to learn something new every time you post something. I'm one of the few that are curious as well, as I don't think that I know everything! I know that I don't know.😁
Interesting findings indeed! It's fascinating to see how different types of dairy, especially cheese, can have varying impacts on cardiovascular health. The study's insights into the potential benefits of cheese and full-fat dairy are quite compelling, particularly the protective associations noted. It's also intriguing to consider the role of genetic differences and dietary habits across populations. Thanks for sharing this detailed analysis!
great insights! many ??? about populations, portion size, quality, microbiome... pairing dairy with what??? but finally debunking awful and useless pre conception about some foods as eggs and dairy, great source of micro nutrients and interesting fats!
near verona (italy) there are little mountains in which small farmers have their cows and sheeps and goats... they stay outside tons of the time and theri milk is used to do cheese and sometimes yogurt. it's so beautiful see the different color of the same cheese due to seasonality. quality of the foods is also inside the passion and slow time of little reality
This is ok as far as it goes, but I have a hard time putting full faith in anything that relies on diet questionnaires. As a subject for hypothesis forming and further research? Sure, but it's not hard data for making big lifestyle changes.
I can't remember how much cheese I ate yesterday. "Hey honey, it's time to fill out the diet questionnaire. Did you record our cheese consumption?" "No, I thought you were doing it this week!" "Well how much did we eat the week before? Half a pound? Close enough, just write that."
Edit: Ok, I admit I was a bad boy, jumped ahead, and wrote my comment before reading your conclusion with its cautions.
Haha, I'm glad you chuckled. I'm not trying to be adversarial or anything. I should have known better from reading your other stuff, but so many headlines of “studies show” are wild extrapolations that the data doesn't support. Keep up the good work!
What's your opinion on cottage cheese? I view it almost as a superfood, being superlow in sugar and very satiating, eaten together with fatty nuts, raw cocoa and high-fat cream.
There is New Zealand company A2M making A2 cow milk. They are mostly targeting Chinese market, but sell in Australia. Check if it is available where you are
A few years ago I did a N=1 experiment where I almost completely eliminated saturated fat. Most of the saturated fat in my diet would have been from cheese and full fat Greek yogurt. Before I started my experiment I would eat red meat 2-3 times a week, but cheese was an everyday staple.
Once I started I eliminated cheese, red meat, and eggs. For protein I ate chicken or fish.
After 5 months my cholesterol was virtually identical. Total, HDL, and LDL.
PS - I still used heavy whipping cream in my coffee. (Nectar of the Gods)
What did you conclude fro your N = 1? I could guess, but interested to hear what you think now. What would you have thought if your LDL dropped by, say, 8 mg/dl?
I use lots of heavy whipping cream in my coffee too. Where I live goat cheese is difficult to find. Just this summer a local producer began selling goat cheese at my neighbor farmer's market. Next summer I'll ask them about the possibility of selling goat cream too. Thanks for the tip.
Went low carb slightly less than 4 weeks ago, and have been wearing a CGM for 2.5 years. Started at blood sugar of 126, and as of tonight I am at 104 for the past 7 days, 107 for past 14 days, fairly effortlessly.
No meaningful weight loss, but that's because I have had some inconsistent execution, but the blood sugar impact has been stunning, in both absolute numbers and on the stability. I was at 153 in July 2022 before I started wearing a CGM, it's simply the best informational device I've ever used in any aspect of my life.
Nick, I love your Holy Cow! Cheese May Actually Cut...! I love the results of the study that full fat cheese and dairy are probably good for my health. I did not find a link to your suggestions for the personal 30-day metabolic challenge using the SiPhox Health kit.
I have been using an eating window of 6 hours (ending before 4 PM) to try to control my rheumatoid arthritis better. Maybe I could begin my eating window earlier in the day and see if there is an effect.
This association has been in the literature for a long time, for example in the 1968 Malhotra study comparing the disease patterns in Indian railway workers from the dairy-eating north and the largely vegan south. I've noticed the association is sometimes buried when it shows up, for example here is a paper https://www.wjgnet.com/1949-8462/full/v4/i4/112.htm#B18 that perversely cites the Malhotra paper as a reference for the opposite claim (that dairy is associated with cardiovascular disease).
There's also the powerful ACE inhibitor peptides in parmesan and Grana Padano cheese in dietary quantities https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5654426/. Grana Padano is the better studied of the two and tends to be cheaper.
I calc'd that at 216lb & 53% muscle, protein intake per day would be c. 108g. (1g per lb muscle). That's not even the size of 1/2 a pack of butter.
Have I calc'd this wrong? There's hardly any fat in chicken and not much in our beef, lamb etc cuts in the UK unless you count beef burgers but then you'd have to eat the fat they produce.
I'd like to try it , but i'm not sure how it would keep me saited
Yes, I think you have. First off, if you're saying a person is only 53% lean tissue, that means 47% body fat. I'd check that math. Furthermore, 108 grams protein is not 1/2 a pack of butter. Butter has very little protein. 108 g of protein is like 2-3 steaks.
% muscle is from my scales. I didn't provide the fat / bone % as this didn't have any place in your protein intake guide. I was using butter block as a weight equivalent. I'm particularly useless at these calcs!
When one says grams of protein it doesn't mean the weight of the protein source. An egg has 6 g protein. But an egg does not weigh 6 g. And lean mass and muscle mass aren't the same... you do have other organs ;).
Excellent! Best news of 2025
Glad you think so :).
Thanks for the punny insight! Great article and keep up the great work. I get excited to learn something new every time you post something. I'm one of the few that are curious as well, as I don't think that I know everything! I know that I don't know.😁
Rock on Eddie! You're Gouda, and getting Cheddar every day!
Interesting findings indeed! It's fascinating to see how different types of dairy, especially cheese, can have varying impacts on cardiovascular health. The study's insights into the potential benefits of cheese and full-fat dairy are quite compelling, particularly the protective associations noted. It's also intriguing to consider the role of genetic differences and dietary habits across populations. Thanks for sharing this detailed analysis!
Very welcome Ariel :).
great insights! many ??? about populations, portion size, quality, microbiome... pairing dairy with what??? but finally debunking awful and useless pre conception about some foods as eggs and dairy, great source of micro nutrients and interesting fats!
always genius Nick
Don't you mean 'grate' insights ;)
oh oh ho yesssssssss
near verona (italy) there are little mountains in which small farmers have their cows and sheeps and goats... they stay outside tons of the time and theri milk is used to do cheese and sometimes yogurt. it's so beautiful see the different color of the same cheese due to seasonality. quality of the foods is also inside the passion and slow time of little reality
Oh yum!!!
This is ok as far as it goes, but I have a hard time putting full faith in anything that relies on diet questionnaires. As a subject for hypothesis forming and further research? Sure, but it's not hard data for making big lifestyle changes.
I can't remember how much cheese I ate yesterday. "Hey honey, it's time to fill out the diet questionnaire. Did you record our cheese consumption?" "No, I thought you were doing it this week!" "Well how much did we eat the week before? Half a pound? Close enough, just write that."
Edit: Ok, I admit I was a bad boy, jumped ahead, and wrote my comment before reading your conclusion with its cautions.
And that's why you should read the whole thing before commenting ;). Kudos for claiming it. The "edit" made me giggle.
Haha, I'm glad you chuckled. I'm not trying to be adversarial or anything. I should have known better from reading your other stuff, but so many headlines of “studies show” are wild extrapolations that the data doesn't support. Keep up the good work!
I try to be pretty mindful about double standards.
What's your opinion on cottage cheese? I view it almost as a superfood, being superlow in sugar and very satiating, eaten together with fatty nuts, raw cocoa and high-fat cream.
Love it! Sometimes put in extra salt and macadamia butter or crumble in feta for extra zing. Typically use Good Culture.
There is New Zealand company A2M making A2 cow milk. They are mostly targeting Chinese market, but sell in Australia. Check if it is available where you are
There are a few companies like this. An options. Although for me it's easiest to seek sheep, goat, buffalo.
A few years ago I did a N=1 experiment where I almost completely eliminated saturated fat. Most of the saturated fat in my diet would have been from cheese and full fat Greek yogurt. Before I started my experiment I would eat red meat 2-3 times a week, but cheese was an everyday staple.
Once I started I eliminated cheese, red meat, and eggs. For protein I ate chicken or fish.
After 5 months my cholesterol was virtually identical. Total, HDL, and LDL.
PS - I still used heavy whipping cream in my coffee. (Nectar of the Gods)
What did you conclude fro your N = 1? I could guess, but interested to hear what you think now. What would you have thought if your LDL dropped by, say, 8 mg/dl?
Great article and happy to know that Manchego ( the one produced where I live) is a healthy option.
Isn't it? Just had a block not 1 hour ago.
Most lactose free cheeses have guar gum. Maybe that's why it caused GI symptoms. Could you please try one with no gum? Maybe you can tolerate A1
I don't eat processed cheeses, nor to target lactose-free cheeses. I'm not lactose intolerant.
I now feel better about my coffee being more cream than coffee :D
Ha. Goat cream? ;) If so, you get an A(2)+
I use lots of heavy whipping cream in my coffee too. Where I live goat cheese is difficult to find. Just this summer a local producer began selling goat cheese at my neighbor farmer's market. Next summer I'll ask them about the possibility of selling goat cream too. Thanks for the tip.
Less a tip than a preference... and opportunity to drop a play on words.
Went low carb slightly less than 4 weeks ago, and have been wearing a CGM for 2.5 years. Started at blood sugar of 126, and as of tonight I am at 104 for the past 7 days, 107 for past 14 days, fairly effortlessly.
No meaningful weight loss, but that's because I have had some inconsistent execution, but the blood sugar impact has been stunning, in both absolute numbers and on the stability. I was at 153 in July 2022 before I started wearing a CGM, it's simply the best informational device I've ever used in any aspect of my life.
Nick, I love your Holy Cow! Cheese May Actually Cut...! I love the results of the study that full fat cheese and dairy are probably good for my health. I did not find a link to your suggestions for the personal 30-day metabolic challenge using the SiPhox Health kit.
It's here! siphoxhealth.com/nick30
Thanks, Nick!
But I am still unclear about where your suggestions are linked.
Just found the link: https://siphoxhealth.com/nick30
I am persistent as well as curious!
Ha... my reply beat you by about 5 seconds ;)
I have been using an eating window of 6 hours (ending before 4 PM) to try to control my rheumatoid arthritis better. Maybe I could begin my eating window earlier in the day and see if there is an effect.
I read this recently. First eggs, now cheese, next stop… meat.
Been there already ;) see the youtube channel
Damn it, it seems you’re one step ahead of me. 🤣. Thanks.
And this just came out from a friend: https://youtu.be/qFv04wcBt4g?si=TZ5FxFE7nvyBq57C
I can’t find which one you referred to previously. But I’ll watch this one now. Thanks.
Example of 1: https://youtu.be/-xrN4Wc73QM
Watching and very interesting. My wife’s has IBS. I’m scared to show her this vid. :)
And this one on Carnivore and IBD: https://youtu.be/JJQCwsy_yM8
This association has been in the literature for a long time, for example in the 1968 Malhotra study comparing the disease patterns in Indian railway workers from the dairy-eating north and the largely vegan south. I've noticed the association is sometimes buried when it shows up, for example here is a paper https://www.wjgnet.com/1949-8462/full/v4/i4/112.htm#B18 that perversely cites the Malhotra paper as a reference for the opposite claim (that dairy is associated with cardiovascular disease).
There's also the powerful ACE inhibitor peptides in parmesan and Grana Padano cheese in dietary quantities https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5654426/. Grana Padano is the better studied of the two and tends to be cheaper.
Hi Nick
I just read your keto challenge and i'm confused.
I calc'd that at 216lb & 53% muscle, protein intake per day would be c. 108g. (1g per lb muscle). That's not even the size of 1/2 a pack of butter.
Have I calc'd this wrong? There's hardly any fat in chicken and not much in our beef, lamb etc cuts in the UK unless you count beef burgers but then you'd have to eat the fat they produce.
I'd like to try it , but i'm not sure how it would keep me saited
Yes, I think you have. First off, if you're saying a person is only 53% lean tissue, that means 47% body fat. I'd check that math. Furthermore, 108 grams protein is not 1/2 a pack of butter. Butter has very little protein. 108 g of protein is like 2-3 steaks.
% muscle is from my scales. I didn't provide the fat / bone % as this didn't have any place in your protein intake guide. I was using butter block as a weight equivalent. I'm particularly useless at these calcs!
When one says grams of protein it doesn't mean the weight of the protein source. An egg has 6 g protein. But an egg does not weigh 6 g. And lean mass and muscle mass aren't the same... you do have other organs ;).
But thanks for giving me the guide for protein in steaks. I blame being an imperial weights child having to move to metric calculations!