My experiment, research, and personal experience all indicate that eating too much cheese, particularly high-fat cheese, may induce or aggravate mental health issues such as depression and brain fog.
The reason for this is that cheese contains a lot of calcium but not much magnesium. Magnesium, along with zinc, is the most important mineral for mental health.
Saturated fat clogs our brain vessels in the same way as it does our heart vessels. Higher levels of saturated fat and high-fat consumption have been related to brain inflammation, an increased risk of stroke, and memory impairment.
Some cheeses, such as those with high-fat content, are more difficult to digest. Excessive cheese consumption can impair digestion. Depression can be caused by poor digestion. Fatty cheese clogs the gut, causing constipation and gas.
Try it out for yourself, eat a lot of cheese for a few days, then don’t for a few days. When large amounts of cheese are consumed, most people sense a difference and feel more depressed, especially those with mild depression.
Some people’s immune function reactivity to casein in milk was greatly higher, corresponding to the severity of their mental problems. And a dairy-free diet can “improve significantly or even cure completely” their problems.
Cheese has a lot of omega-6 fatty acids, which cause inflammation, whereas omega-3 fatty acids prevent inflammation.
On the other hand, people with good mental health and a strong digestive system may not notice the negative effects of excessive cheese consumption. They may also be less affected than persons suffering from depression and stomach issues.
Do you consume an excessive amount of cheese? Eliminate it from your diet and observe how you feel.
Matt M. Eccles is the founder of Vitality and Happiness Blog. He is a philosopher, psychology enthusiast, wellness and digestion expert, author, and world traveler who is passionate about helping others reach and experience optimum health, true happiness, and increased vitality. The purpose of this website is to motivate and inspire people to handle life’s challenges. Uplift and encourage you to succeed in life and be happy and healthy, increase life quality, and become the best version of yourself.
You are correct in your assumptions.
I make homemade cream and cottage cheese with natural probiotics, as I tolerate if very well with my dairy allergy, and I drain it extremely well to remove the allergens. I feel it’s a good way to get my calcium.
However, I have noticed on eating it, I feel a wave of depression coming over me.
I developed an allergy to both wheat and sugar, last year. I was suffering for many years with depression, however, on giving both up, I noticed after a good couple of weeks had gone by that my depression was starting to fade, to where I hardly notice it any longer, today, however when I make my cream/cottage cheese it returns, but in a very much more milder way – considering that I have entirely given up all wheat and sugar.
That’s how I landed on this page.
Thank you for posting this article. I’m sure your post will help many others.