Cream Cheese, Homemade

Medicinal Profile of

Cream Cheese, Homemade

Homemade cream cheese is typically made by culturing milk and cream with lactic acid bacteria, then straining to achieve a soft, spreadable texture. Unlike commercial cream cheese, which often contains stabilizers and gums, the homemade version is fresher, more digestible, and richer in probiotics (if cultures are kept alive). It is still heavy, moistening, and grounding, but the live cultures add a mildly stimulating and digestive-supporting quality that makes it lighter and easier to tolerate for some individuals.

• Taste

  👉 Tastes describe the initial impression a food or herb leaves on the tongue, and they reveal its deeper actions in the body, shaping digestion, circulation, and tissue response.

  Sweet – The natural milk sugars provide gentle nourishment, building tissues and supplying grounding energy to the body.
  Sour – The live culture tang stimulates digestive secretions and supports a healthy microbial balance in the gut.

• Qualities

  👉Qualities describe the felt nature of a substance or practice, and how it acts in the body beyond nutrients or chemistry.

  Heavy – Homemade cream cheese remains nutrient-dense, providing a substantial sense of weight and restoration to depleted states.
  Moistening – Its fat content and soft texture add lubrication and soothing qualities to tissues, though excess may still promote dampness in those prone to congestion.
  Grounding – The richness calms overstimulation and steadies the nervous system, especially when consumed in moderate amounts.
  Stabilizing – Compared to commercial versions, the presence of beneficial bacteria offers added support for balanced digestion and energy regulation.

• Nutritional Value

  Nutritional Value (per 100 g homemade cream cheese)

  Calories: ~290 kcal

  Macronutrients
  Fat: ~29 g
  – Saturated fat: ~18 g
  – Monounsaturated fat: ~8 g
  – Polyunsaturated fat: ~1 g
  Carbohydrates: ~2–3 g
  – Sugar (mainly lactose): ~2–3 g
  Protein: ~5–6 g

  Vitamins
  Vitamin A (retinol): ~875 IU (18% DV)
  Vitamin B2 (riboflavin): ~0.1 mg (8% DV)
  Vitamin B12: ~0.4 µg (17% DV)
  Vitamin K2 (small amounts, higher if made from grass-fed milk)
  Vitamin D (trace, higher if cows are pasture-raised)

  Minerals
  Calcium: ~70 mg (7% DV)
  Phosphorus: ~100 mg (10% DV)
  Magnesium: ~8 mg (2% DV)
  Potassium: ~120 mg (3% DV)
  Zinc: ~0.6 mg (5% DV)
  Selenium: ~2.4 µg (4% DV)
  Sodium: ~320 mg (varies depending on added salt)

  Phytonutrients (if made from high-quality milk)
  – Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA): Anti-inflammatory fatty acid, higher in grass-fed cows.
  – Butyric acid: Supports gut lining health.
  – Live probiotics (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacteria, etc.) if cultures are preserved.

• Preparation Methods

  Cultured Method (Traditional) – Warm whole milk (or milk + cream) is inoculated with a starter culture (such as mesophilic bacteria or a bit of yogurt/kefir) and left at room temperature until thickened. The curds are then drained through cheesecloth to separate whey, producing a soft, spreadable cream cheese.

  Acid-Set Method (Quick) – Lemon juice or vinegar is added to warm milk + cream to cause curdling. The curds are strained through cheesecloth. This creates a tangier, less probiotic-rich cream cheese compared to the cultured method.

  Salt & Seasoning (Optional) – Salt may be added for flavor and preservation. Herbs, spices, or honey can also be mixed in before refrigeration.

  Storage – Best stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, consumed within 1–2 weeks.

Indicated Patterns by Affinity

👉 Indicated patterns describe the functional state of the body and its organs and/or tissues, showing whether they are dry, atrophied, too damp (pressure), stagnant, lax, inflammed, sluggish, tense or underactive. The Primary Indicated Pattern is the main state where this remedy works best. Secondary Indicated Pattern(s) are the patterns that often develop over time when the primary state is left unaddressed. The primary pattern must be supported first, as this allows the secondary patterns to naturally ease or resolve.

👉Affinities are the organ systems and tissues where the remedy acts most strongly.

• Digestive System (Affinity)

  Digestive System (Affinity)

  Dryness (Primary Indicated Pattern) – When digestive tissues lack moisture and lubrication, leading to sluggish or irritated digestion.
  Examples: constipation from dry, hard stools, dry tongue or mouth with poor digestive comfort, irritated gut lining worsened by dryness.

  Atrophy (Secondary Indicated Pattern) – When digestive tissues are undernourished and thinned, losing resilience.
  Examples: weak gut mucosa with sensitivity, nutrient deficiency symptoms (fat-soluble vitamin malabsorption), poor assimilation leaving tissues depleted.

• Respiratory System (Affinity)

  Dryness (Primary Indicated Pattern) – When respiratory membranes are too dry, leading to discomfort and irritation.
  Examples: dry cough with scratchy throat, dry nasal passages, thickened mucus that needs softening.

  Atrophy (Secondary Indicated Pattern) – When respiratory tissues weaken or thin from lack of nourishment.
  Examples: fragile mucosa prone to irritation, recurrent respiratory dryness, lowered resilience to inhaled irritants.

• Musculoskeletal System (Affinity)

  Atrophy (Primary Indicated Pattern) – When tissues are undernourished, weakened, or thinned.
  Examples: muscle wasting with weakness, poor connective tissue strength, low weight from nutrient depletion.

  Dryness (Secondary Indicated Pattern) – When lack of moisture contributes to stiff, dry-feeling tissues.
  Examples: cracking joints from lack of lubrication, stiff movement with dry tissue tone, recovery slowed by dry constitution.

• Nervous System (Affinity)

  Atrophy (Primary Indicated Pattern) – When the nervous system is depleted, fragile, or undernourished.
  Examples: frazzled nerves soothed by stabilizing foods, poor stress resilience from lack of nourishment, low reserves leading to nervous exhaustion.

  Dryness (Secondary Indicated Pattern) – When dryness affects nervous tissue or fluid balance, reducing comfort and adaptability.
  Examples: restlessness from depleted fluids, low mood linked to dryness, tension from lack of lubrication in tissues.

Homemade cream cheese is nutritive and mildly moistening, best for dry, depleted, or atrophic states across the digestive, respiratory, musculoskeletal, and nervous systems. It provides grounding fats, moisture, and rebuilding nourishment. It is not suitable for congestive or irritative patterns, where heaviness and dampness dominate.It can aggravate congestion, dampness, or irritative inflammation, especially in those with dairy sensitivities.

• Medicinal Actions

  👉 Medicinal actions describe the specific ways a food influences organ systems and body functions.

  Nutritive / Building – Dense in calories and fats that help restore weight and tissue in depleted states; provides fat-soluble vitamins that support skin, nerves, and hormones.

  Appetite Satisfier (Satiating) – Provides a sense of fullness and gratification in the stomach, helping regulate appetite and reduce excessive cravings.

  Soothing to GI mucosa (indirect) – The creamy fat phase can “coat” and calm irritated stomach/duodenal surfaces (not a true demulcent, but often experienced as such).

  Microbiome support (cultured versions) – Live lactic acid bacteria can aid digestion, crowd out some undesirable microbes, and modestly improve lactose tolerance for some people.

  Grounding / Calming (energetic) – Heavy, moistening, and stabilizing qualities can settle over-stimulation and help those who feel wired but undernourished.

• Chemical Constituents

  👉 Constituents are the natural compounds in a food that give rise to its actions in the body.

  Milk fat (triacylglycerols; butyric acid, oleic acid; small CLA), milk proteins (casein, whey), lactose, lactic acid, minerals (calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium), vitamins (A, B2, B12; small K2 and D depending on milk), live cultures (Lactococcus/Lactobacillus/Bifidobacterium, when made and stored to preserve viability), trace bioactives from grass-fed milk (e.g., carotenoids).

• Medicinal Strength Level

  1st Degree (food-like). Gentle, supportive nourishment; effects accrue with regular dietary use rather than acting as an acute remedy.

• Herbal Drug Interactions

  None specific to herbs; it’s a food.

  Timing interactions with medications/supplements (important):

  Calcium-rich dairy can reduce absorption of levothyroxine, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, and iron—separate by ~4 hours (thyroid/iron) or per Rx guidance (antibiotics).

  Probiotics vs. antibiotics: take cultured cream cheese several hours apart from antibiotic doses so live cultures aren’t immediately inactivated.

  High-sodium or high-saturated-fat diets may conflict with cardio-metabolic prescriptions/goals—use moderately.

• Safety and Contraindications

  Source & hygiene matter. Use pasteurized milk/cream or impeccable sanitation; otherwise risk of Listeria/E. coli/Salmonella with home ferments.

  Pregnancy & immunocompromise: choose pasteurized, well-refrigerated cultured versions; avoid questionable home ferments.

  Lactose intolerance: may cause gas/bloating; cultured versions sometimes better tolerated.

  Cow’s-milk protein allergy (casein/whey): avoid—can trigger immune reactions.

  Histamine sensitivity: fermented dairy may aggravate symptoms in some people (typically less than aged cheeses, but still possible).

  Mucus-prone / Damp patterns: can worsen congestion or sluggish digestion if overused.

  Sodium & saturated fat: moderate portions if managing hypertension, dyslipidemia, or NAFLD.

• References

  Nutrient composition & dairy interactions

  USDA FoodData Central. “Cream cheese, regular.” Nutrient database entry (calories, fat profile, calcium, sodium, vitamins).

  Mayo Clinic / FDA patient guidance on calcium reducing absorption of levothyroxine and certain antibiotics (tetracyclines/fluoroquinolones); iron separation guidance.

  Food safety

  CDC. “Listeria and soft cheeses.” Risk and prevention guidance for homemade/soft cheeses; pasteurization and refrigeration recommendations.

  USDA FSIS. “Food safety of dairy products & home fermentation basics.”

  Probiotics & fermented dairy

  Marco, M. L., et al. “Health benefits of fermented foods: microbiota and beyond.” Current Opinion in Biotechnology (overview of lactic ferments and GI effects).

  Nagpal, R., et al. “Probiotics, their health benefits and applications for developing healthier foods.” Journal of Food Science and Technology (lactic cultures in dairy and digestive support).

  Fat-soluble nutrients & dairy bioactives

  Haug, A., et al. “Bovine milk in human nutrition – a review.” Lipids in Health and Disease (milk fats, CLA, fat-soluble vitamins).