Cheese is one of the most popular food choices that is likely to raise a person’s cholesterol, but if you want nibbles, which cheese is best to eat? One of the important ingredients to keep in mind when choosing cheese is the saturated fat content. Heart UK, a major charity, explained how saturated fat raises cholesterol levels.
“Eating foods that are too saturated and too low in unsaturated fats changes the way the liver processes cholesterol,” the charity says.
“Our liver cells have LDL receptors. When LDL (bad) cholesterol passes through the blood, these receptors take cholesterol out of the blood into the liver and break it down.
“Research shows that eating too much saturated fat causes receptors to malfunction and cholesterol to build up in the blood.”
Below is a list of cheese types with the highest to lowest saturated fat content.
- Cheddar (24.9g)
- Switzerland (24.1g)
- American cheese spread (18.7g)
- Mozzarella cheese (15.6g)
- Parmesan cheese (15.4g)
- Ricotta, whole milk (8g)
- Ricotta cheese, some skim milk (6.1g).
When chewing cheese, pay attention to the portion size, as too much cheese can be harmful to your health.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) states that cheese is often high in saturated fat, but “you don’t have to cut cheese from your diet.”
However, if you already have hypercholesterolemia, “use high-fat cheese sparingly.”
We recommend the following low-fat cheeses.
- Mozzarella
- Feta cheese
- cottage cheese
- Low-fat cheese.
Others, on the other hand, can be very salty and should be considered a one-time treat for the Blue Moon. These include Roquefort and Halloumi.
It’s also worth noting that goat cheese contains about 26g of fat per 100g, similar to Camembert, Brie and Edam.
The expanded list of cheeses, and the saturated fat content per 100g, includes:
- Mascarpone (29g)
- Stilton (23g)
- Cheddar, Red Leicester, Gloucester (22g)
- Parmesan cheese (19g)
- Bree (18g)
- Paneer (18g)
- Goat cheese (18g)
- Edam (16g)
- Processed cheese, eg cheese string (14g)
- Camembert (14g)
- Feta cheese (14g)
- Mozzarella cheese (14g).
Foods that help lower cholesterol
Some foods that can be eaten during the celebration can help lower cholesterol levels.
Heart UK has confirmed that nuts such as almonds and walnuts are suitable for adding to cheeseboards.
The charity details: “Nuts are an excellent source of unsaturated fats, a low-saturated fat mixture that helps control cholesterol.”
In addition, nuts contain protein, vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, natural phytosterols, and phytonnutrients.
“They’re also full, so you’re less likely to eat other treats. [unhealthy] thing. “
Another great cholesterol-friendly addition to your cheeseboard is fruits such as grapes and apples.
Fruits contain vitamins, minerals and fiber that help you stay healthy.
Heart UK added: “Some types of fiber help lower cholesterol. It prevents cholesterol from being absorbed from the intestines into the bloodstream.”
