"Cheese is a much better investment than a hospital or doctors." - Ray Peat
Cheese has been a man's friend for at least 7500 years,[1] it is a concentrated source of casein, a protein that, when digested, produces opioid-like peptides known as exorphins. These specific peptides, called casomorphins, possess psychoactive properties and can significantly influence physiological and neurological states.[2]
• Casomorphins: These are peptides produced during the digestion of casein.
• A1 vs. A2 Casein: Shorter peptides derived from A1 β-casein can penetrate the intestinal wall and the blood-brain barrier more easily than longer chains. They have a high affinity for μ-opiate receptors.
• Alternative Dairy: Milk from A2 cows, goats, and sheep contains longer peptide chains that result in milder physiological effects compared to standard A1 bovine milk.
The opioid-like activity of cheese consumption can lead to several systemic issues:
• Digestive System: Exorphins are known to impair bowel transit. Approximately 90% of opioid users develop chronic constipation, which leads to increased serotonin in the brain and may "lock" traumatic experiences within the nervous system.
• Metabolism: Opioids exhibit anti-thyroid activity, characterized by a drop in body temperature, shivers, and slowed brain activity due to depressed oxygen circulation.
• Histamine Release: Opioid use can trigger a massive release of histamine into the bloodstream, which may cause the sensation of "bugs crawling under the skin" or itchy skin.
• Physical Rigidity: Morphine-like states can produce muscle rigidity (sometimes called "wooden chest syndrome" or "turning into stone") and reduced responsiveness to external stimuli, overlapping with symptoms of depression and learned helplessness.
• Dream Alteration: The psychoactive properties of casomorphins can influence dream content and quality. This phenomenon was popularized by the 1904 comic "Dream of the Rarebit Fiend," based on the observation that eating Welsh rarebit (hot cheese on toast) caused vivid nightmares. Some individuals also report sleep paralysis linked to cheese and gluten consumption.
• Autism and Psychosis: High levels of β-casomorphin have been found in the urine of autistic children and individuals undergoing psychotic episodes. Some populations with autism appear highly sensitive to BCM-7 and other morphine-like exorphins, experiencing "brain fog" or being "knocked out" and drowsy after consuming cheese.
• Addiction and Withdrawal: The sources describe "itinerant caso-junkies" and anecdotal accounts of extreme addiction to the crystalline form of fermented or acid-hydrolyzed casein.
• Coffee: Both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee contain caffeoyl quinide, a potent opioid receptor antagonist similar in magnitude to naloxone. Combining strong coffee with milk/cheese may help counteract casomorphin’s effects and aid laxation.
• Pharmaceuticals:
◦ Naloxone and Naltrexone: Used to reverse states of mental and physical rigidity caused by opioids.
◦ Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN): Reported by some to ameliorate inflammatory symptoms and sensory processing issues associated with autism and exorphin sensitivity.
◦ Cyproheptadine: Also noted as a tool to reverse opioid-induced rigidity.
Nixtamalized tortilla with cheese and mushrooms
About two-thirds of all cheese in the world is no longer made with animal rennet, but with genetically modified microorganisms producing usually one single enzyme rather than the natural complex of enzymes in rennet. The industry of genetically engineered enzymes has almost completely taken over world cheese production.
You have to be very cautious with cheeses because they're putting seaweed and other gums in them to increase their water content - they can add 30% to the weight just by putting more jelly in it.
The basic safe ingredients are: milk, salt, and rennet. If it says "vegetable rennet," that can mean an engineered enzyme system, a manufactured bunch of fungal enzymes.
Ray on Basque: "I like almost all cheeses, but every day I do eat the sheep cheese" - Ray Peat[3]
If they haven't added anything, is very safe. But many brands add lactic acid and "dressing." By rinsing it, you lose about 30% of the weight, but it comes out to be a clean milk curd. (beware C:P 1:2)
Brands: Good Culture, Daisy, always check labels for gums/carrageenan
Look for versions without gums or stabilizers
The D.O.P. designation on Italian cheeses is your friend, it generally ensures traditional methods.