Swiss cheese is a medium-hard cheese made from cow’s milk with a pale yellow color and mild nutty flavor. It’s inspired by a European style cheese called Emmentaler from the Emmental Valley of Switzerland. Here at Rothenbühler Cheesemakers, we make a range of award-winning Swiss cheese varieties including the Emmentaler variety.

While our customers love the flavor and texture of our distinctive Swiss cheeses, they often ask us if Swiss cheese is a healthy choice. To which, we always give a resounding yes!

 

Here are some of the unique nutritional aspects of Swiss cheese.

 

Good Source of Protein

Just one ounce of Swiss cheese contains nearly 8 grams of protein. That’s a lot of protein packed into what amounts to one slice of Swiss cheese.

Importantly, protein from Swiss cheese is considered healthier than plant protein because it’s a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids. Your body can’t make these, so you need to get them from food.

In addition to building muscle and providing sustained energy, eating high protein Swiss cheese snacks leads to better appetite control compared with high carb snacks. So, you may eat less and lose a little weight in the process.

 

1. Good Source of Calcium and Phosphorus

Swiss cheese contains more calcium than other similar cheeses like Provolone or Cheddar. Just one slice of Swiss provides approximately 20% of your required daily calcium intake. Plus, your body absorbs calcium from dairy much more easily than calcium from most plant-based foods.

One slice of Swiss also provides 13% of your daily requirement of the essential mineral phosphorus. Most people don’t know that phosphorus works together with calcium to help build healthy bones. Phosphorus also plays an important role in the body's energy production.

 

2. Vitamin B12 Benefits

Swiss cheese provides a whopping 36% of your daily requirement of vitamin B12. This is far and away the most B-12 of any of its peers like Provolone or Cheddar. B12 is known as an essential vitamin that helps the body produce energy and helps the nervous system function effectively.

Unfortunately, vegetarians and some flexitarians who avoid animal-based foods sometimes end up with a B12 deficiency. Also, older people have a harder time maintaining adequate B12 levels. Studies suggest that approximately 20% of people in the US over 60 years of age are deficient in B12. Putting a slice of Swiss cheese on your veggie burger can help keep your B12 levels up.

 

3. Anti-inflammatory Benefits

Swiss cheeses are higher than other cheeses in a bacterium called Propionibacterium freudenreichii. Their consumption regulates your gut microbiota, which makes them both probiotic and prebiotic. That’s a fancy way of saying that P. freudenreichii helps keep your gut happy and healthy.

New research also shows that P. freudenreichi helps boost immunity function and provides anti-inflammatory benefits. As you may know, science has proven that chronic inflammation contributes to cardiovas­cular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and many other life altering diseases.

The good news is that your body can handle all the P. freudenreichii you want to give it. Which means you can eat all the delicious Rothenbühler Swiss cheese you want.

 

4. Naturally Lactose Free

Lactose is sometimes called “milk sugar” because it is only found in the milk of cows, goats and other mammals. People with lactose intolerance don’t produce enough of an enzyme called lactase, which breaks down lactose and makes it available for absorption. If you have this condition and eat too much lactose, you can experience symptoms like bloating, diarrhea, gas, and abdominal pain.

The good news is that Rothenbühler cheese is naturally lactose free due to the removal of whey in our cheesemaking process as well as the continued breakdown of lactose by bacteria during the aging process.

 

5. Full Fat Benefits

While it is true that Swiss cheese contains saturated fat, it is also true that a growing body of research indicates that the link between saturated fat and heart disease is not as clear as once thought. In fact, science has shown that full fat dairy plays a positive role by helping your body absorb nutrients and produce important hormones.

The fact is that your body needs fat and Swiss cheese is a good way to get it. In addition to a fair amount of saturated fat, a slice of Swiss cheese contains no trans fats while also providing 2.25 grams of monounsaturated fat - thought to be the healthiest of fats.

 

Yes! A little Swiss Goes a Long Way Toward Good Health

So you see, there are a lot of healthy things to say about Swiss cheese. It could be argued that Swiss cheese is the healthiest cheese. And, by adding a slice of Rothenbühler Lacey Swiss to your favorite sandwich or a sprinkle of shredded Rothenbühler Aarafalls Baby Swiss over a salad or scrambled egg, you can boost your intake of protein, calcium, and B12 while making your gut happy and giving it what it needs to fight off inflammation.