American cheese: ingredients, nutrition, pros and cons (2024)

American cheese is a processed cheese product made from various types of cheese and other ingredients. It contains a lot of protein, but also a lot of sodium and unsaturated fats.

American cheese is a common ingredient in some classic American dishes, such as cheeseburgers and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Although you've probably tried it before, you're wondering what American cheese is and whether its quality is as low as its reputation suggests.

This article examines American cheese, from its nutritional composition and potential benefits to its drawbacks.

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American cheese is a type of processed cheese made by mixing one or moretypes of cheese, including cheddar cheese, washed cottage cheese, Colby cheese, and grainy cheese (1).

Despite being called “American cheese,” its official name is “pasteurized American process cheese.”

Unlike natural cheese, which is made directly from milk, American cheese is made from a mixture of cheeses. The cheese mixture must not constitute less than 51% of the weight of the final product (1,2).

Other ingredients are acidity regulators, water, salt,artificial coloring, emulsifiers to prevent separation, and spices or artificial flavors (1).

American cheese has a mild flavor and a smooth texture. The color can vary from white to light yellow or orange (3).

It is typically sold in the form of solid blocks, shredded, diced, spread, or individually wrapped slices, commonly known as "singles".

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Unlike natural cheese, which is made from milk, American cheese is a processed cheese made by mixing Cheddar cheese, washed curd, Colby cheese, and granular cheese, among other things.

American cheese has both healthy and less healthy nutritional qualities.

A single 28-gram slice of American cheese provides (4):

• Calories:102
• Carbohydrates:1,3 gram
• Egg white:5 gram
• Fed:9 gram
• Calcium:23% of Daily Value (DV)
• Sodium:21% of the RDA
• Phosphorus:14% of the RDA
• D-vitamin:11% of the RDA
• Vitamine A:10% of the RDA
• Zink:6% of the RDA

On the one hand, American cheese is a low-carb cheese and a source of high-quality protein. It is also enriched with vitamin D and naturally rich in other vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A, phosphorus, and calciumzink.

While vitamin D helps strengthen your bones by improving the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, vitamin A promotes eye health and the immune system, while zinc plays an essential role in growth, digestion and DNA synthesis (5,6,7).

On the other hand, American cheese is a high-calorie food, high in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium.

Of the 9 grams of fat in a slice of American cheese, 5 grams come from itsaturated fats, which makes up 25% of the RDA - or the recommended amount to consume or not to exceed per day. The same serving also provides 10% of the RDI for cholesterol (4).

Diets high in saturated fat and sodium are linked to an increased risk of heart disease, including atherosclerosis – or plaque buildup – and high blood pressure (8,9,10).

How does it compare to other cheeses?

Although American cheese is one of the most popular sliced ​​cheeses, there are a wide variety of sliced ​​cheeses to choose from.

The chart below compares 1-ounce slices of American, Swiss, and Cheddar cheese (4,11,12):

Both Swiss and Cheddar cheeses are slightly higher in calories due to their higher protein content compared to American cheese. However, all three cheeses provide the same amount of total and saturated fat per slice.

However, American cheese has the highest carbohydrate and calcium content, and its sodium content is 10 and 4 times higher, respectively, than both cheeses.

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American cheese is a high-calorie, high-fat and high-sodium food. But it also provides high-quality proteins, vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins A and D, phosphorus, calcium and zinc.

American cheese has some benefits to offer.

High calcium content

Although calcium is available in dairy and non-dairy products, dairy products such as American cheese make up about 72% of the total calcium.calcium i costsoffer in the United States (13).

Calcium is a mineral that makes up most of the structure of your bones. It is important for bone strength and may help prevent osteoporosis, a condition characterized by an increased risk of fractures due to fragile bones (14).

Despite being best known for its bone support, calcium is involved in many other bodily functions, including:

• Blood pressure.Studies in humans and animals show that high calcium intake can help lower systolic blood pressure (the top number of a reading) in people with low calcium intake and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.preeclampsiaamong pregnant women (13,14).
• Cholesterol in the blood.There is some evidence that calcium may help lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase HDL (good) cholesterol (13,14).
• Nerve transmission.Your body depends on calcium to keep brain cells communicating with each other to coordinate muscle movements, body secretions and organ functions (14,15).

High-quality protein source

Together with carbohydrates and fats, protein is one of the three macronutrients.

The nutritional value changes depending on the amino acid composition. Protein sources can be categorized as high or low quality depending on whether they provide everythingEssential amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.

Since dairy products such as milk, cheese andyoghurtsupply all essential amino acids, they are considered high-quality protein sources (16).

Therefore, enjoying a slice of American cheese every now and then can help you increase your intake of high-quality protein.

Extended shelf life

Be oneprocessed productAmerican cheese has a longer shelf life compared to natural cheeses (2).

Unlike soft cheeses, which require refrigeration for safety reasons, American cheeses do not require refrigeration before opening. However, it will last longer if you store it in the refrigerator (17).

Once opened it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months (18).

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American cheese is a good source of calcium and high-quality protein. Moreover, it has a longer shelf life than soft natural cheese.

The main health concerns associated with eating American cheese are its high saturated fat and sodium content.

High saturated fat intake can increase LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, increasing your riskatherosclerosis(8,19).

Atherosclerosis is characterized by a narrowing of the arteries due to the buildup of plaque. It is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke, and a leading cause of death worldwide (8,19).

Although current dietary guidelines for Americans recommend consuming fat-free or low-fat dairy products, research indicates that saturated fatdairyis not harmful to heart health. On the other hand, it can have a neutral or even protective effect (20,21,22).

As for sodium levels, evidence shows that high-sodium diets increase the risk of hypertension or high blood pressure, while reducing your sodium intake can help lower the risk of this condition (9,23,24).

Data shows that the average sodium intake in the US exceeds recommendations by 48%, and as shown above, just one slice of American cheese provides 20% of the recommended daily amount of sodium (4,24).

This means that consuming too much American cheese can lead to overconsumption of sodium. As such, it can increase your risk of developing ithigh bloodpressure.

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American cheese is high in saturated fat and sodium, both of which can increase the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.

American cheese provides some high-quality nutrients. However, the not so healthy ones can outweigh the good ones.

While there are no official recommendations on American cheese consumption, it may be best to consume it sparingly to avoid increasing your risk of heart disease.

While it can be a good source of calcium and protein, other dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and many other healthier cheeses are also good sources of these nutrients (11,12,16).

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Although American cheese contains some high-quality nutrients, it may be best to consume it in moderation to avoid the potential negative health effects of excessive saturated fat and sodium intake.

American cheese is a processed food made by combining several cheeses, including cheddar cheese, washed cottage cheese, Colby cheese and granular cheese.

As a dairy product, it is a good source of calcium and high-quality proteins. It also has a longer shelf life compared to other cheeses.

However, it should be consumed in moderation due to its high saturated fat and sodium content, which can increase the risk of heart disease.