What Are the Health Benefits of Eating Goat Cheese?

Goat cheese has a chemical profile that makes it favorable for people who suffer from aversions to dairy products made from cow's milk. Goat cheese contains less lactose than cow's milk and cheese, and contains smaller fat globules, which make the cheese easier to digest. A serving of goat cheese generally contains fewer harmful substances than a typical brand of cow's cheese, while providing similar, if not more, vitamin and mineral content.

What Are the Health Benefits of Eating Goat Cheese? (Image: Tay Jnr/Digital Vision/Getty Images)

Low in Calories

A 1-oz. serving of a typical brand of goat cheese contains 70 calories, 45 of which are from fat. A 1-oz. serving of a typical brand of cheddar cheese, however, contains 110 calories and 80 from fat. If you substitute a serving of goat cheese for cheddar each day for a week, you will cut nearly 300 calories from your diet.

Low in Fat and Cholesterol

Substituting goat cheese for cheddar can help you limit your intake of fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Goat cheese contains just 5 g of fat per 1-oz. serving, while cheddar cheese contains 9 g. Similarly, goat cheese contains half the saturated fat with 3 g per serving, compared to the 6 g of cheddar cheese. Cheddar cheese contains 25 mg of cholesterol per serving, while goat cheese contains none.

Low Sodium

Excess sodium in the diet can result in increased blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. The Institute of Medicine recommends that adults eat less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day for good health. Goat cheese contains 65 mg of sodium per 1-oz. serving, while a serving of cheddar cheese contains 170 mg.

Sufficient Protein

Goat cheese does not contain as much protein as cheddar, but still provides an adequate amount of this nutrient to help you meet your daily needs. A serving of goat cheese contains 4 g of protein, while cheddar cheese contains 7 g. The Institute of Medicine recommends that women consume at least 46 grams of protein a day and men consume at least 56 grams.

Vitamins and Minerals

Goat cheese is higher in vitamins D, K, thiamine and niacin than a serving of cow's cheese. A serving of goat cheese has the same amount of vitamin A as cheddar cheese, with 6 percent the daily value. Goat cheese is also high in the B vitamin riboflavin, as well as the mineral phosphorous. The body cannot produce vitamins and minerals on its own, so goat cheese provides a source of these micronutrients.