The cardiometabolic health effects of the hard cheese matrix

Total dairy intake is often associated with positive health outcomes, including reduced incidences of cardio metabolic disease. Dairy foods are diverse in their nutrient composition and structure, or "matrix", and less is known about the bioactive effects of individual dairy foods and their influences on human health. Cheese has a complex matrix that contains beneficial dairy proteins, bacteria, and micronutrients but also contains saturated fats and sodium, nutrients generally associated with unfavorable effects on cardiometabolic disease risk. The nutrient composition of cheese raises unique questions about the impact of cheese consumption on human health outcomes. The current literature suggests that cheese consumption as a whole food has positive or neutral effects on several cardiometabolic outcomes, likely driven by bioactive proteins, fats, micronutrients, and bacteria in the cheese matrix, and, interestingly, appears to be protective against the negative effects of sodium and saturated fats that are otherwise observed when consumed in nondairy products. However, further studies are needed to identify the specific components, structural characteristics, and molecular interactions in cheese that confer these health effects. This review discusses what is currently understood about the influence of the cheese matrix on human health, particularly cardiometabolic health, and the potential mechanisms mediating these effects.