The best (and worst) cheeses for your gut health

We are a nation of cheese lovers, but it may come as a surprise to discover that this household staple is also a secret superfood.

A recent study has revealed that the microbes in different cheeses could also offer a surprising boost for gut health. Scientists from the University of Reading tracked the microbial and biochemical changes that took place as three cheeses matured. Their findings suggest that some of the bacteria responsible for developing each cheese’s unique flavour profile may also be beneficial, “potentially producing compounds linked to reduced inflammation, cholesterol regulation and appetite control”.

“The theory is that cheese acts as a kind of carrier and protector for [good] bacteria,” says Stephanie Moore, a clinical nutritionist, health coach and author of Eat Your Brain Happy. “Certain families of microbes found in cheeses – the Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus families in particular – are likely to be having a positive influence as they pass through the digestive system.”

The process of making cheese invariably begins with microbes being added to milk. Depending on the type of cheese the cheesemaker wants to produce, they inoculate the milk with different moulds, yeasts and bacteria. After that, the environment the cheese is stored in for ageing, what it’s wrapped in and anything else that’s been added to the milk will determine the course of the fermentation, encouraging different microbial families to bloom. It’s a complex process, with many variables, which is why there are so many different varieties of cheese.

But which varieties are best for your gut?

The best cheeses for gut health

Cheddar

Cheddar is the most consumed cheese in Australia and it’s excellent for gut health.

A mature cheddar will have gone through around six months of maturation through the work of helpful bacteria. “Generally speaking, the longer it is matured, the more intense and complex the flavour,” says Moore. “This tends to directly correlate with the diversity of microbes and other compounds that have developed naturally through the process.”

A very mild cheddar may not have as much complexity of flavour or variety of microbes, but that doesn’t make it bad for you. “Even standard supermarket cheddar has to have gone through the milk-to-cheese maturation process,” says Moore.

Parmesan

Parmesan has to be matured for a minimum of 12 months, with some being aged for up to two years, making it one of the longest-fermented cheeses. “That doesn’t automatically correlate with more helpful microbes, but it does tend to,” says Moore.

There’s also evidence that hard cheeses’ dense structure and high fat content help protect bacteria from the stomach’s harsh, acidic environment, meaning a lot of the good bacteria can actually reach the gut. A landmark study published in Nature Communications by researchers at the University of Parma found that the microbial communities (such as the gut-friendly Bifidobacterium strains) present in Parmigiano Reggiano could survive digestion and be detected in the human gut.

Brie and camembert

Soft cheeses like brie and camembert are relatively young compared to cheddar and parmesan, as they’re usually aged for up to two months. However, they’re still fermented cheeses, so can contain gut-friendly microbes.

The white mould Penicillium candidum, which forms the characteristic rind on brie and camembert, produces a substance called chitin that’s unique to this type of cheese.

“Chitin contains a prebiotic fibre that feeds beneficial gut bacteria,” Moore explains. A small 2022 study found that 4.5g of chitin per day improved gut diversity over three weeks, though it is worth noting that the amount of chitin found in cheese is significantly less than the amount in the study.

The worst

Burger cheese slices

Moore cites burger cheese slices and cheese strings as the worst examples. “These highly processed products [contain no beneficial microbes],” she says. “There’s hardly any actual dairy in them, apart from maybe a bit of milk powder. With real cheese, once you’ve opened it, it changes over time. It gets mouldier or changes consistency. Whereas these ultra-processed cheeses can sit in your fridge for ages and barely change in appearance.”

Anything in a tube or a triangle

“So-called ‘squeezy cheese’ is an ultra-processed food [UPF] containing artificial colourings and additives,” says Moore. UPFs have been found to have a detrimental effect on gut health, with a 2025 study concluding that these foods decrease the amount of good bacteria in the gut, damage the gut lining and contribute to inflammation.

Soft cheese triangles like Laughing Cow are also classified as a “processed cheese spread”. Babybel, on the other hand, is not a UPF. “Babybel is fine,” says Moore. “It’s a traditional Edam-style cheese; it’s just very mild, which is why kids like it.”

In the middle

Boursin

Boursin is made with pasteurised cow’s milk and cream, but is unaged – it’s more like a fromage frais than a cheese. It’s relatively high in calories and saturated fat but low in protein compared with hard cheeses.

“Boursin has gone through the [maturation] process, but not for very long,” says Moore. “It has then had cultures added to it, along with garlic and chopped herbs or basil and chives, which is what provides its flavour. It’s by no means microbiologically complex, but nor is it ultra-processed.”

Blue cheeses

The blue veins in Stilton, Roquefort and Gorgonzola are grown using a mould called Penicillium roqueforti, but that doesn’t make it a probiotic.

However, blue cheese can be a good source of a compound called spermidine, which, says Moore, “is having a moment as a longevity molecule. Spermidine performs several actions that support gut health. And cheeses like Roquefort contain far more of it than non-blue cheeses.”

Mozzarella and ricotta

Ricotta and mozzarella are “young” cheeses. They haven’t been matured, so they won’t have a strong flavour or bacterial complexity.

“Ricotta is made from the whey left over after cheesemaking and then heated,” Moore explains, “so nothing very microbial survives. Mozzarella goes through a fermentation process, but it’s then heated to make it stretchable, so not many of the live microbes remain. Mozzarella di Bufala Campana PDO, on the other hand, specifies it has to be fermented using a very specific starter culture, which creates a much richer microbial ecosystem before the curd is stretched.”

Feta

Feta contains a particularly high amount of salt, with up to 3g per 100g (in contrast, mature cheddar usually contains less than 2g). A 2024 review of studies found that a diet high in salt can have a negative impact on our gut bacteria.

“Feta is kept in brine, which is what makes it salty, though you can wash it before eating to get some of the salt off,” says Moore.

Cottage cheese

Because cottage cheese is a young cheese, like ricotta or mozzarella, it doesn’t develop the more intense flavour and microbial complexity of mature cheeses. Standard supermarket versions are often heated during production, which can destroy beneficial bacteria.

By contrast, “cultured” cottage cheese is inoculated with live bacterial cultures, which contribute to microbial diversity. Look for varieties with wording such as “contains live and active cultures” on the label. “A decent cottage cheese, meaning a cultured one that’s traditionally made, is a good option for gut health,” says Moore. “It’s tasty, microbially rich and a great source of protein.”

The Telegraph, London