Know2eat

Goat cheese

What goat cheese has been studied for

2 associations assessed — 1 with at least some human evidence behind it. Strongest first.

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

About goat cheese

Cheese made from goat milk, sold anywhere from fresh and spreadable to hard and aged. Its tang comes largely from short-chain branched fatty acids that are characteristic of goat milk fat.

Also known as Chèvre, Caprino, Goat milk cheese

Bone HealthGut & Digestive Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Limited

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.

Bone mineral density

Bone Health
Limited evidence

Contributes calcium and complete protein in the same way other cheeses do, and the dairy-and-bone association is observational and strongest in growing children. There is no goat-specific bone research.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

1 source

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

Digestive comfort

Gut & Digestive Health
Insufficient evidence

Evidence is limited for goat dairy being easier to digest than cow dairy. The idea rests on smaller fat globules and a different casein profile, but controlled human comparisons are few, small and inconsistent, and none used cheese.

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

3 sources

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

Ask about Goat cheese

Ask about Goat 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
Calories452 kcal23%
Protein30.5 g61%
Total fat35.6 g46%
Carbohydrate2.17 g1%
Fibre0 g0%
Total sugars2.17 g—
Water29 g—
Fats
Saturated fat24.6 g123%
Monounsaturated fat8.12 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.845 g—
Cholesterol105 mg35%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.845 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A486 µg54%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D0.7 µg3%
Vitamin E0.31 mg2%
Vitamin K3 µg3%
Thiamin (B1)0.14 mg12%
Riboflavin (B2)1.19 mg92%
Niacin (B3)2.4 mg15%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.41 mg8%
Vitamin B60.08 mg5%
Folate4 µg1%
Vitamin B120.12 µg5%
Choline15.4 mg3%
Minerals
Calcium895 mg69%
Iron1.88 mg10%
Magnesium54 mg13%
Phosphorus729 mg58%
Potassium48 mg1%
Sodium423 mg18%
Zinc1.59 mg14%
Copper0.627 mg70%
Manganese0.252 mg11%
Selenium5.5 µg10%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene91 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash3.72 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, goat, hard type (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 172197).

% 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.

  • fermentedReduces lactose

    As with cow milk cheeses, ripening consumes the lactose; fresh chèvre retains considerably more than an aged crottin.

Things to know

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

  • Allergy

    Cross-reactivity with cow milk protein

    Goat cheese is often marketed as an alternative for people who react to cow dairy. Most people with cow milk protein allergy also react to goat and sheep milk, because the caseins are structurally similar. It should not be tried as a substitute without medical advice.

  • Worth knowing

    Soft unpasteurised chèvre in pregnancy

    Soft, mould-ripened and unpasteurised goat cheeses are on the list pregnancy guidance advises avoiding because of Listeria monocytogenes. Hard aged goat cheese made from pasteurised milk is not in that group.

  • Worth knowing

    Lactose is not lower than cow cheese

    Goat milk contains a similar amount of lactose to cow milk. Any tolerance advantage people report for aged goat cheese comes from the ageing, not from the animal.