String cheese: what cheese trials say, since none tested the stick

We found no study of string cheese itself and no USDA entry under that name, so everything here comes from cheese in general, mostly cheddar and other hard cheeses. The strongest finding is about cholesterol. In a meta-analysis of 5 randomized trials, eating hard cheese in place of butter, a mean of 5.1 oz (145 g) a day, lowered LDL cholesterol by 6.5 percent (8.5 mg/dL (95% CI 5.4 to 11; metric: 0.22 mmol/L, 0.14 to 0.29)) and HDL by 3.9 percent, with no effect on triglycerides. A second meta-analysis of 7 trials found the same direction. After at least 14 days of about 135 g cheese a day against about 52 g butter, LDL was 7.3 mg/dL (0.19 mmol/L) lower, and every trial in it carried some concern for bias. Both analyses compared cheese with butter, and both used hard or semi-hard cheese at amounts far larger than a snack. So they do not show that adding string cheese to a diet lowers cholesterol.

What your body absorbs

• In a crossover RCT in 24 adults, cheddar delivered branched-chain amino acids to the blood more slowly and for longer than protein-matched milk, peaking at about 120 minutes. — Healthy young men and women (n = 24; ~27 years), single serving of cheese with 20 g protein versus milk (n = 24) Evidence B source
  Slower, more sustained branched-chain amino acid appearance after cheese, peak about 120 min
• In a crossover RCT in 18 men, a casein gel raised post-meal triglycerides by 21 mg/dL (0.24 mmol/L) more than cheddar with the same fat and protein. — Normal-weight men aged 18-40, four isoenergetic dairy meals, 8-hour follow-up (n = 18) Evidence B source
  Postprandial TG +0.24 ± 6.2 mg/dL (0.07 mmol/L) after MCI gel versus cheese
• According to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, about 30% of the calcium in dairy foods such as cheese is absorbed. — General population Evidence E source
  About 30% calcium absorption from dairy

What cooking and storage change

• In a 6-week RCT, eating 4.2 oz (120 g) of cheddar daily in melted form raised total cholesterol by 7.7 mg/dL (0.20 mmol/L) more than the same cheese eaten unmelted. — Overweight adults aged 50 and over, 6 weeks, 120 g full-fat cheddar per day melted or unmelted (n = 162) Evidence B source
  Total cholesterol +7.7 mg/dL (0.20 mmol/L) and triglycerides +15 mg/dL (0.17 mmol/L), melted versus unmelted; LDL no difference

What it does to your health

• In a meta-analysis of 5 RCTs, eating hard cheese instead of butter lowered LDL cholesterol by 6.5% in healthy adults. — Healthy adults in 5 randomized trials comparing hard cheese with butter (mean 145 g cheese per day) (n = 5 RCTs) Evidence A source
  LDL-C -8.5 mg/dL (95% CI -11 to -5.4; metric: -0.22 mmol/l, -0.29 to -0.14); HDL-C -1.9 mg/dL (-0.05 mmol/l); triglycerides unchanged
• In a meta-analysis of 7 RCTs, about 4.8 oz (135 g) of cheese a day for at least 14 days lowered LDL cholesterol by 7.3 mg/dL (0.19 mmol/L) compared with about 1.8 oz (52 g) of butter. — Adults in 7 randomized trials, at least 14 days of hard or semi-hard cheese versus butter (n = 7 RCTs) Evidence A source
  LDL-C WMD -7.3 mg/dL (95% CI -10 to -4.6; metric: -0.19 mmol/L, -0.27 to -0.12); total cholesterol -9.3 mg/dL (-0.24 mmol/L)
• Observational data link each additional 10 g of cheese per day with about 4% higher Parkinson's disease risk. — 29 prospective cohort studies with 1 307 337 participants (n = 1307337) Evidence C source
  About 4% higher risk per 10 g cheese per day

Safety, limits and interactions

• The CDC lists large chunks of cheese, especially string cheese, among potential choking hazards for young children. — Infants and young children (n = -) Evidence E source
  Listed as food to avoid for young children (choking risk)
• For people at higher risk of Listeria, CDC lists string cheese as a safer choice when it is made with pasteurized milk. — people at higher risk for Listeria: women who are pregnant, people 65 years or older, people with a weakened immune system Evidence E source
  String cheese, feta and mozzarella listed as a safer choice when made with pasteurized milk
• The FDA label for transdermal selegiline (EMSAM) at 9 mg/24 h or more lists aged cheeses as foods to avoid and mozzarella and processed cheeses as acceptable. — Adults using EMSAM (selegiline transdermal system) at 9 mg/24 h or 12 mg/24 h (n = -) Evidence E source
  Aged cheeses: avoid; mozzarella and processed cheeses: acceptable (label Table 5, dairy)
• Pooled data from 16 studies found Listeria monocytogenes in about 1.2% of mozzarella samples. — Mozzarella cheese samples from 16 studies, including 10 years of Italian laboratory data (n = 16 studies) Evidence C source
  Pooled prevalence 1.2% (95% CI 0.0-4.2); I2 = 78%

What people believe that the data does not support

• The EU did not authorize the claim that milk and cheese promote dental health in children. — Children Evidence E source
  Claim non-authorized
• The EU did not authorize the claim that three portions of dairy a day, including cheese, help children keep a healthy body weight. — Children and adolescents Evidence E source
  Claim non-authorized

Who this works differently for

• In pooled data from two 6-week RCTs, 4.2 oz (120 g) of cheese a day lowered total and LDL cholesterol in women, while the same fat eaten as butter plus casein raised them. — Middle-aged adults (n 197, 41.6% male), 120 g cheese or deconstructed cheese for 6 weeks (n = 197) Evidence B source
  Cheese lowered total and LDL cholesterol versus deconstructed cheese; stronger response in women

What is still unknown

• A second meta-analysis of 9 observational studies found no significant link between cheese and Parkinson's disease, so the cheese signal is unsettled. — Nine observational studies (eight cohort, one case-control), 634,327 cohort participants (n = 634327) Evidence C source
  No significant association for cheese

The bottom line

How the cheese is eaten seems to matter. In a 6-week trial in 162 overweight adults aged 50 and over, 4.2 oz (120 g) of full-fat cheddar a day eaten melted raised total cholesterol by 7.7 mg/dL (0.20 mmol/L) and triglycerides by 15 mg/dL (0.17 mmol/L) more than the same cheese unmelted, with no difference in LDL, in a single trial. In 18 young men, a casein gel with the same fat and protein as cheddar raised triglycerides after the meal by 21 mg/dL (0.24 mmol/L) more than the cheese did. In 24 young adults, cheddar with 20 g protein released branched-chain amino acids into the blood more slowly than milk, peaking at about 120 minutes. The NIH puts calcium absorption from dairy foods at about 30 percent. Parkinson disease is an open question. One meta-analysis of 29 cohort studies links each extra 10 g of cheese a day with about 4 percent higher risk, an observational association open to confounding. A second meta-analysis of 9 observational studies found no significant link for cheese. The two pooled different sets of studies and reached different answers, so the signal stays unsettled. Two popular claims were checked in the EU and rejected: that milk and cheese promote dental health in children, and that three portions of dairy a day help children keep a healthy weight. Rejected here means the evidence was judged insufficient. On safety, pooled data from 16 studies found Listeria monocytogenes in about 1.2 percent of mozzarella samples (95% CI 0.0 to 4.2), with high heterogeneity, and a share of contaminated samples is not a measure of illness risk. For people at higher risk of Listeria, meaning women who are pregnant, people 65 or older and people with a weakened immune system, the CDC lists string cheese among safer choices when it is made with pasteurized milk. Young children face a different risk. The CDC lists large chunks of cheese, especially string cheese, among potential choking hazards for young children, without giving an age cut-off in that list. For people on an MAOI antidepressant, the FDA label for transdermal selegiline at 9 mg/24 h or more lists aged cheeses as foods to avoid and mozzarella and processed cheeses as acceptable. That label covers one drug, and advice for a specific patient comes from the prescriber. We have no card on allergy for string cheese. Women may respond differently. In pooled data from two 6-week trials in 197 middle-aged adults, 4.2 oz (120 g) of cheese a day lowered total and LDL cholesterol in women, while the same ingredients eaten as butter plus casein raised them, a within-sex analysis without a formal test of the difference between sexes.

Sources

1. stc-daily-r7-04 · Crossover RCT
   We found that cheese ingestion had a slower yet more sustained branched-chain amino acid circulation appearance over the postprandial period peaking at ~120 min.
   Nutrients, 2021 · checked 2026-09-29
2. stc-daily-r7-05 · Crossover RCT
   Postprandial triglycerides (TGs) (primary outcome) increased by (mean ± SEM) 0.24 ± 0.07 and 0.19 ± 0.07 mmol/L after MCI Gel compared with Cheese and Hom. Cheese, respectively (both P ≤ 0.05).
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2021 · checked 2026-09-29
3. stc-daily-r7-10 · Agency fact sheet
   The absorption of calcium from dairy products and fortified foods is about 30% [1].
   NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Calcium fact sheet for health professionals · checked 2026-09-29
4. stc-daily-r7-03 · RCT
   Melted cheese increased total cholesterol concentrations by 0.20 ± 0.15 mmol L-1 and triglyceride concentrations by 0.17 ± 0.08 mmol L-1 compared to unmelted cheese.
   Food Funct, 2024 · checked 2026-09-29
5. stc-daily-r7-01 · Meta-analysis of RCTs
   Compared with butter intake, cheese intake (weighted mean difference: 145.0 g/d) reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) by 6.5% (-0.22 mmol/l; 95%CI: -0.29 to -0.14) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) by 3.9% (-0.05 mmol/l; 95%CI: -0.09 to -0.02) but had no effect on triglycerides.
   Nutr Rev, 2015 · checked 2026-09-29
6. stc-daily-r7-02 · Meta-analysis of RCTs
   Pooled analyses of 7 RCTs showed a reduction in fasting total cholesterol, LDL-C and HDL-C concentrations after ≥14 d mean daily intake of 135 g cheese (weighted mean difference [WMD]: -0.24 mmol/L; 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.34, -0.15; I2 = 59.8%, WMD: -0.19 mmol/L; 95% CI: -0.27, -0.12; I2 = 42.8%, and WMD: -0.04 mmol/L; 95% CI: -0.08, -0.00; I2 = 58.6%, respectively) relative to ∼52 g/d butter.
   Adv Nutr, 2023 · checked 2026-09-29
7. stc-daily-r7-07 · Meta-analysis of cohort studies
   Linear dose-response analysis showed a 5%-7% increased risk for every 100-g/day dairy and low-fat dairy intake, 4% increased risk per 10-g cheese/day, and 13% increased risk per 1 cup milk/day.
   Nutr Rev, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
8. sf-choke-r2-11 · agency advice
   Large chunks of cheese, especially string cheese.
   CDC, Infant and Toddler Nutrition: Choking Hazards · checked 2026-10-08
9. sf-lsc-r3-stringcheese-1 · agency advice
   Cottage cheese, cream cheese, string cheese, feta, and mozzarella, when made with pasteurized milk
   Preventing Listeria Infection, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Safer Food Choices · checked 2026-10-08
10. sf-tymaoi-24 · agency advice
    Aged cheeses ... Processed cheeses, mozzarella, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, and yogurt
    EMSAM (selegiline transdermal system), FDA-approved label, sections 2.3 and 7.2 (Table 5) · checked 2026-10-08
11. stc-daily-r7-06 · Meta-analysis of prevalence studies
    In total, 16 studies were analyzed using random-effects meta-analysis, and the pooled prevalence of L. monocytogenes in mozzarella was estimated at 1.2% (95% CI: 0.0-4.2) although a high heterogeneity among studies was observed (I2 = 78%).
    J Dairy Sci, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
12. stc-daily-r7-11 · EU claim register entry
    POL-HC-6306 Dairy products (milk and cheese) Dairy foods (milk and cheese) promote dental health in children. -/- Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-6306, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29
13. stc-daily-r7-12 · EU claim register entry
    POL-HC-6305 Dairy products (milk, cheese and yoghurt) Three portions of dairy food everyday, as part of a balanced diet, may help promote a healthy body weight during childhood and adolescence. -/- Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-6305, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29
14. stc-daily-r7-09 · Pooled RCT analysis
    Within the female group cheese lowered total and LDL cholesterol concentrations, whereas deconstructed cheese was found to increase the same lipid markers.
    Atherosclerosis, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
15. stc-daily-r7-08 · Meta-analysis of observational studies
    No significant associations were found for yogurt/fermented milk, cheese, butter, or ice cream.
    Public Health, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29