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Home > Real Science Exchange > Health Benefits of Cheese with Dr. Kristin Ricklefs-Johnson, Dairy Management Inc.
Podcast: Real Science Exchange
Episode:

Health Benefits of Cheese with Dr. Kristin Ricklefs-Johnson, Dairy Management Inc.
Category: Science & Medicine
Duration: 00:29:46
Publish Date: 2026-03-03 15:00:00
Description:

Dr. Ricklefs-Johnson talks about bone health and the cardiovascular health benefits of cheese. Calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins D, K, and B12 are all important for bone health, and cheese is a good source of each. In the past, saturated fat in cheese would have been demonized, but research is finding that saturated fat isn’t created equally across all food types, and cheese has many unique fatty acids. Cheese consumption is associated with reduced risks of coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Cheese contains bioactive peptides that appear to help lower blood pressure. (4:18)

The panel discusses the mechanisms of action of cheese consumption on cardiovascular health, how much cheese is recommended daily, and whether different cheeses have different health benefits. Dr. Ricklefs-Johnson explains that the protein in cheese is primarily in the form of casein, rather than whey. Casein had been less utilized as it was thought harder to digest, but more research is showing the benefits of casein in muscle recovery and helping with sleep. (8:27)

Research supports that calcium from cow milk sources is more bioavailable compared to supplements or fortified calcium in plant milks. Cheese is also unique as a dairy food that contains vitamin K, which works in conjunction with vitamin D and calcium for maintaining bone mass. (15:07)

The panel visits about some of the other presentations at the symposium, including feeding cows to influence vitamin K or fatty acids in the milk and how to get the word out about the health benefits of cheese. (19:16)

Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (26:29)

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