Cheddar, Gouda, Brie, Gorgonzola, Parmesan. All tastes have appealing types, and recent studies have shown that they all make a good part of a healthy diet.
Stephanie Clark
This rich, creamy cheese is irresistible on crackers, mixed with fresh fruit, or sprinkled over chili bowls. There are many good reasons why we like cheese, and Americans really do. Per capita consumption is £40 a year, or just over 1.5 ounces a day for him.
We love cheese, but are a little afraid of it. When people talk about their cheese cravings, it’s often spoken in a guilty, confessional way, like, “Cheese is my weakness.”
However, “cheese is rich in nutrients such as protein, calcium, and phosphorus that can contribute to your diet for healthful purposes,” says R.D.N., an adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University. Lisa Young says So if you’ve passed out from eating Stiltons or need more parm in your pasta, know this. Cheese does not appear to increase or decrease the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease or type 2 diabetes.
Why cheese is good for you
It’s easy to see why people feel conflicted about cheese. For years, U.S. dietary guidelines have stated that eating low-fat dairy products is best. This is because whole dairy products, such as full-fat cheese, contain saturated fat, which can raise LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, a known risk for heart disease. Cheese has also been implicated in digestive problems such as weight gain and bloating.
Yes, they are high in calories. Some varieties have over 100 calories per ounce. And they’re full of saturated fat. So why is it safe for most people to eat? “Cheese has a high saturated fat content,” says Emma Feeney, Ph. It’s not the only one,” he said.
Traditional thinking about nutrition has focused on individual nutrients that promote or prevent disease, such as fats and proteins. The current focus is on whole foods and how their structure, nutrients, enzymes, and other components interact.
When milk turns into cheese, it changes the way nutrients and other ingredients are chemically arranged in the process. (See “How cheese is made,” below.) This affects how it is digested and processed in the body, making it a different health effect than eating the same nutrients in another form, such as butter. can lead to an impact on .
In 2018, Feeney led a six-week clinical trial in which 164 people each received an equal amount of milk fat in the form of butter or cheese, then switched mid-study. “We found that the saturated fat in cheese didn’t raise LDL cholesterol as much as butter,” she says.
Experts have different theories as to why the saturated fat in cheese is less harmful. Other studies have shown that fatty acids in cheese called sphingolipids can increase the activity of genes that help the body break down cholesterol. Suggested.
“Vitamin K can be formed during the fermentation process,” says the Jean Meyer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center for Aging at Tufts University in Boston. “Vitamins are important for blood clotting, bone and blood vessel health,” says Dr. Sarabooth, director of the Vitamin K Institute. “It contains the most high-fat cheeses such as cheddar and blue.”
And as a fermented food, “both raw and pasteurized cheeses contain beneficial bacteria that are beneficial to the human gut microbiome,” says Wisconsin Dairy Farmer’s Deputy Food Safety, Quality and Regulatory Compliance Officer. President Adam Block said. (See “Is raw milk cheese safe to eat?”) Found primarily in aged cheeses such as cheddar and gouda, this good bacteria breaks down food, synthesizes vitamins, and fights disease. It prevents the bacteria that cause it from gaining a foothold and boosts immunity.
Your body on cheese
So cheese is cholesterol-free, can provide important nutrients, and promote gut health. There is even better news. Cheese appears to (actually) reduce the risk of weight gain and the risk of some chronic diseases.
Weight gain: Cheese is a concentrated source of calories. “That’s why you need less cheese compared to things like milk and yogurt,” says Young of New York University. Still, according to the study, you don’t have to skip cheese to stabilize your scales. We examined body weights every day to try to determine which foods were associated with weight gain. They found that consuming more of certain foods, such as refined grains (such as white bread), was associated with weight gain, but eating more of other foods, such as nuts, was associated with weight gain. cheese actually helped with weight loss. Cheese was not associated with any gains or losses, even in those who ate more during the study. Another review found that people who ate dairy products, including cheese, weighed more than those who did not, but those who ate dairy had less body fat and more lean mass. I was. health.
One of the reasons why cheese can help you manage your weight is that it may suppress your appetite more than other dairy products. In a small study, researchers measured appetite in her 31 people’s blood after eating cheese, sour cream, whipped cream, or butter, and her levels of four hormones that control hunger. . Of these foods, cheese significantly increased the levels of two hormones that make you feel full.
Cardiovascular disease: A large meta-analysis of 15 studies looking at the effects of cheese on cardiovascular disease, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, found that those who ate the most (1.5 ounces per day) consumed more than those who ate nothing. was also found to be 10% lower risk. Other analyzes found that cheese did not appear to affect heart disease risk in either way. The study suggests that if you’re worried about your LDL cholesterol levels or heart disease, you don’t have to avoid cheese,” says Feeney.
Diabetes and Hypertension: Cheese and full-fat dairy products also appear to be associated with reduced risk of both. We found that eating a mixture of fat and low-fat milk was associated with a 24% and 11% reduction in the risk of both conditions compared to two servings of dairy. I haven’t eaten anything. Eating only low-fat dairy products slightly increased the risk. Also, among those who did not have diabetes or high blood pressure at the start of the nine-year study, those who ate two servings of dairy were less likely to develop the disease during the study.
Lactose intolerance: The lactose in milk is difficult for some people to digest and can cause diarrhea, bloating, and other gastrointestinal symptoms. Digesting most of it, says Jamie Pung of the American Cheese Society and a 12-year veteran of the cheesemaking industry. “This means that many types of cheese have little or no lactose,” she says. , my general rule is that the waterier the cheese, the more lactose.” and minimize fresh soft cheeses such as ricotta and cottage cheese. For example, one ounce of cheddar contains about 0.01 grams of lactose, while a half cup of cottage cheese has 3.2 grams. (One cup of whole milk has 12 grams.)
The healthiest way to eat cheese
If this news makes you want to eat brie with a spoon, hold on. While cheese itself doesn’t appear to have any negative health effects, how you incorporate it into your overall diet is important.
In many of the studies suggesting a neutral or beneficial effect, the maximum amount of cheese people ate was about 1.5 ounces, but in some cases up to 3 ounces. size.)
Several studies have found that the health benefits of cheese are greatest when it replaces less healthy foods such as red and processed meats. There’s a big difference between crumbling and serving a pepperoni pizza with double cheese. Including cheese in your diet is the most beneficial for your overall health,” says Young.
For those watching their sodium intake, cheese can be quite salty. Most types provide 150-300 mg of sodium per ounce. (The daily value is no more than 2,300 mg.) But eating more can add sodium.
The shape of the cheese can also affect its health effects. “A lot of the cheese and health research uses cheese in its unmelted form,” says Feeney. “We don’t yet know how melting or cooking cheese, for example, on pizza or eaten in prepared dishes such as casseroles, affects health.”
Young suggests pairing the cheese with fruit, nuts, or fresh vegetables such as carrots and red peppers, and topping it with a few whole-wheat crackers or tomato-topped whole-wheat toast. When cheese takes center stage, you can focus more and enjoy it.
Editor’s Note: This article was also published in the November 2022 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
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