Eating cheese can improve mental health and longevity, new study says

Researchers out of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine say mental well-being is one of the most important factors to determine how healthy you’ll be as you age.

And what helps improve mental health? Well, eating cheese, apparently, according to the study. That’s good news for Wisconsinites, who produce some of the largest quantities of cheese products in the country.

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How does cheese improve health outcomes?

The study analyzed eight datasets of 2.3 million Europeans and found that people with better mental health appeared healthier as they aged. While consuming cheese isn’t the only cause for improved mental health, it ended up being one of the noticeable contributions to people who had a higher well-being score.

Researchers reported that income, education and occupation were related with better mental well-being. Reducing your sedentary lifestyle and smoking, and eating more cheese and fruit also could lead to healthier aging.

Despite the study findings occurring among Europeans, Wisconsin experts say the results aren’t surprising and could apply to local residents. “For my perspective, cheese is a nutrient-dense food with relatively low calories, that’s a great start,” said John Lucey, director of Wisconsin’s Center for Dairy Research.

Cheese contains high level of protein, calcium and dairy fat. Fermented dairy products like cheese also contain other components like bioactive peptides that are generated by the fermentation process. Some of these peptides are gaining attention for their ability to reduce hypertension, Lucey said.

“As we grow older, healthy aging requires good sources of calcium and proteins. I can think of nothing more delicious than eating cheese to help achieve those nutrient requirements,” Lucey said.

Wisconsin produced billions of pounds of cheese in 2022

If you’re looking to get more cheese in your diet, you live in the right place. Wisconsin produced more than 3.5 billion pounds of cheese in 2022 — a quarter of the nation’s total cheese production, according to a report from the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Production.

That’s equivalent to about 8,700 Boeing 747 airlines, or 158 Eiffel Towers.

Historically, almost all cheese made in Wisconsin was sold within the U.S. That’s changed significantly in the past 20 years as there’s been a growing interest in catering to international markets, Lucey said. Wisconsin exports 15% of its dairy output internationally, to more than 140 countries, according to the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin.

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