Know2eat

Blue cheese

What blue cheese has been studied for

1 association assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.

  • 1 Insufficient
4 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About blue cheese

Cheese deliberately inoculated with Penicillium roqueforti and pierced so air reaches the interior, letting blue-green veins develop through the paste. The mould produces enzymes that break down fat, which is where the sharp, peppery flavour comes from.

Also known as Bleu, Gorgonzola, Stilton

Heart Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Insufficient

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Healthy blood pressure

Heart Health
Insufficient evidence

Evidence is limited, and what exists points at a tension rather than a benefit. Some fermented dairy cohorts report neutral blood pressure associations, but blue cheese carries a large sodium load and no trial has tested it as an intervention.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

1 source

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Blue cheese

Ask about Blue cheese

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories353 kcal18%
Protein21.4 g43%
Total fat28.7 g37%
Carbohydrate2.34 g1%
Fibre0 g0%
Total sugars0.5 g—
Water42.4 g—
Fats
Saturated fat18.7 g93%
Monounsaturated fat7.78 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.8 g—
Cholesterol75 mg25%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.536 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A198 µg22%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D0.5 µg3%
Vitamin E0.25 mg2%
Vitamin K2.4 µg2%
Thiamin (B1)0.029 mg2%
Riboflavin (B2)0.382 mg29%
Niacin (B3)1.02 mg6%
Pantothenic acid (B5)1.73 mg35%
Vitamin B60.166 mg10%
Folate36 µg9%
Vitamin B121.22 µg51%
Choline15.4 mg3%
Minerals
Calcium528 mg41%
Iron0.31 mg2%
Magnesium23 mg5%
Phosphorus387 mg31%
Potassium256 mg5%
Sodium1146 mg50%
Zinc2.66 mg24%
Copper0.04 mg4%
Manganese0.0090 mg0%
Selenium14.5 µg26%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene74 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash5.11 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Cheese, blue (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 172175).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

Nothing dependable is recorded about how preparation changes this food’s nutritional properties. Rather than guess, this section stays empty.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Too much

    Very high sodium

    Blue cheeses are heavily salted, partly to control the mould. Along with feta and halloumi they sit at the top of the cheese sodium range.

  • Worth knowing

    Soft blue cheese in pregnancy

    Soft blue-veined cheeses are grouped with mould-ripened soft cheeses in pregnancy advice because of Listeria monocytogenes, and should be avoided unless cooked until steaming hot. Hard blue cheeses are treated as lower risk in some national guidance, which is worth checking locally.

  • Interaction

    Tyramine and MAO inhibitors

    Blue cheese is repeatedly named among the highest-tyramine foods. People taking non-selective monoamine oxidase inhibitors are told to avoid it because of the risk of a hypertensive crisis.

  • Allergy

    Milk protein allergy, and mould sensitivity

    A major milk allergen. Separately, a small number of people report reactions attributed to Penicillium moulds, though genuine mould allergy from eating blue cheese is uncommon.