It’s time to make cheese one of your top probiotic sources.
You can’t go far without running into an article or study on probiotics, so you likely know the deal: You need these helpful microorganisms to support immune health, digestion, glowing skin, and more.
To get your fill, you might take a probiotic supplement each morning, sip kombucha each afternoon, incorporate kimchi into your meals, or include all three in your weekly rotation. If that’s the case, you’re on the right track. Probiotic strains and levels vary between different fermented foods and supplements. And current research shows that the more diverse your intake of probiotic-rich foods, the higher your microbiome diversity, which correlates with improved immunity. Give your gut a mix of probiotic foods, and it will thrive.
But there’s one category of probiotics that rarely gets the same attention as kraut or kimchi: cheese. So if you’ve ever argued with your partner about whether a cheese board qualifies as dinner, here’s your proof.
The Many Strains in Cheeses
Every cheese has probiotics — from the impossible-to-pronounce raw goat’s milk cheese at Erewhon to the block of cheddar at your corner bodega. But to maximize the probiotic benefits of cheese, you’ll want to choose wisely.
“While most cheeses undergo a fermentation process that involves bacteria, not all varieties contain significant amounts of live probiotic cultures,” says Tiffany Ma, R.D.N., a registered dietitian nutritionist in New York City. “The amount of probiotics in cheese can vary widely depending on factors such as the type of milk used, the specific strains of bacteria involved in the fermentation process, and how the cheese is processed and aged. Generally, soft, unpasteurized cheeses tend to retain more live cultures compared to harder, aged cheeses.”
Ultra-processed cheese, for instance, is heated during production, which will kill off probiotic strains. Your best bet is to find cheeses that have been aged naturally — the less tampering, the better.
Catherine Gervacio, a registered dietitian and certified exercise nutrition coach at E-Health Project, agrees. “It varies per every kind of cheese, but you are looking to get a range of millions to billions of colony-forming units (CFUs) per serving,” she says. In a 2015 study published in the "Journal of Food Science and Technology", researchers examined the amount of probiotics in semi-hard cheeses. “The findings indicate that all the experimental cheeses contained the probiotic lactobacilli at levels surpassing 10^6 CFU g-1 (which represents one million colony-forming units per gram),” says Gervacio. That’s a whole lot of beneficial probiotics.
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Reach for Raw and Blue
When it comes to fermented foods and probiotics, usually there’s a little funk, like the tang of kombucha. The same is true for cheese. When selecting cheeses for their probiotic value, typically the funkier the cheese, the higher the chance of a good probiotic hit. Another rule of thumb: If it won’t mold, it’s not the best option for probiotics.
“I suggest that you choose raw milk cheeses, blue cheeses — like Gorgonzola or Roquefort — also artisanal varieties,” says Gervacio. “These commonly have a broader spectrum of probiotic strains compared to the standard cheeses you often see in stores.”
If you don’t have time to stop at the artisanal cheese store, Ma recommends feta and gouda. “[Feta is] made from sheep's milk or a combination of sheep's and goat's milk [and] is often brined, helping to preserve its probiotic content,” she says. “While aged Gouda may have fewer live cultures due to the aging process, young Gouda or ‘baby’ Gouda can still contain beneficial bacteria.”
What About Cottage Cheese?
If raw and blue cheeses are better for your gut, why are the probiotic benefits of cottage cheese promoted more frequently?
Gervacio says it’s probably a numbers game. “Cottage cheeses are more widely available than other cheeses, also they are more palatable,” she explains. “They have also become one of the most recommended cheeses for health and weight management, so they have been sort of the mainstream choice. This led to an emphasis on their probiotic aspects. And people don’t often like blue cheese because of their strong smell and flavor.”
As with all cheeses, the probiotic content of cottage cheese can vary depending on the brand and processing methods, says Ma. She suggests you look for a cottage cheese that is made with live cultures. (You’ll find it on the packaging.)
How to Construct a Gut-Friendly Cheese Board
The next time you throw a dinner party, prep a beautiful and nutrient-rich cheese board and get ready to tell your friends all about the science at play.
Choose three or four cheeses to diversify the probiotic strains, prioritizing a couple of soft cheeses like brie and a young Gouda, suggests Ma. These options are beneficial but still mild enough for all guests to enjoy. “Brie often has a bloomy rind and can contain a range of beneficial bacteria if made with live cultures,” she says. Gouda, on the other hand, has a nutty flavor and smooth texture that pairs well with fruits, nuts, and crackers, she adds. You can also add a cow’s milk cheese like Swiss Gruyere, a blue cheese like Gorgonzola, and an artisanal aged cheddar, suggests Gervacio.
Don’t forget to pair your board with a bottle of natural wine; a 2023 study found that probiotic cheese improves alcohol metabolism, too.
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