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Parmesan

Also known as Parmigiano-Reggiano, Grana, Hard grating cheese

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A hard cheese aged a year or more, during which enzymes break down protein into free amino acids and the crystalline tyrosine specks that mark a mature wheel. Long ageing leaves it with almost no residual lactose.

Muscle & Physical PerformanceBone Health

Potential health benefits

Best supported: Limited

Ordered by how well the human research supports them — strongest first. A rating describes the state of the evidence, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Muscle protein synthesis

Muscle & Physical Performance
Limited evidence

May support protein intake as a dense source of complete dairy protein. Portions are small enough that parmesan rarely contributes meaningfully to daily protein, and no trials test it in this role.

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

4 sources

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

Bone mineral density

Bone Health
Insufficient evidence

Has been studied as a concentrated source of calcium and protein, both relevant to bone. Evidence specific to cheese and bone density is weaker and less consistent than the evidence for dairy intake as a whole.

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

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about Parmesan

Ask about Parmesan

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
Calories392 kcal20%
Protein35.8 g72%
Total fat25 g32%
Carbohydrate3.22 g1%
Fibre0 g0%
Total sugars0.11 g—
Water30 g—
Fats
Saturated fat14.8 g74%
Monounsaturated fat7.51 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.569 g—
Cholesterol68 mg23%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.272 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A207 µg23%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D0.5 µg3%
Vitamin E0.22 mg1%
Vitamin K1.7 µg1%
Thiamin (B1)0.039 mg3%
Riboflavin (B2)0.332 mg26%
Niacin (B3)0.271 mg2%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.453 mg9%
Vitamin B60.091 mg5%
Folate7 µg2%
Vitamin B121.2 µg50%
Choline15.4 mg3%
Minerals
Calcium1184 mg91%
Iron0.82 mg5%
Magnesium44 mg10%
Phosphorus694 mg56%
Potassium92 mg2%
Sodium1175 mg51%
Zinc2.75 mg25%
Copper0.032 mg4%
Manganese0.02 mg1%
Selenium22.5 µg41%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene66 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash6.04 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, parmesan, hard (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170848).

% 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.

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

    Bacterial fermentation and long ageing consume essentially all the lactose, which is why hard aged cheeses are usually tolerated by people with lactose intolerance.

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

    Milk allergy

    A major regulated allergen. Ageing does not remove milk proteins, so aged cheese is not safe in cow milk protein allergy.

  • Interaction

    Tyramine and MAO inhibitors

    Long-aged cheeses accumulate tyramine as proteins break down. In people taking non-selective monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tyramine can trigger a hypertensive crisis, which is why aged cheese is specifically restricted on those medicines.

  • Too much

    High sodium per gram

    Parmesan is heavily salted, and although portions are small the sodium density is high. It is worth counting when it is used generously.

  • Worth knowing

    Migraine trigger reports

    Aged cheese is among the foods most often self-reported as a migraine trigger, plausibly via tyramine, though controlled challenge studies have struggled to confirm it.