Cheese contains a host of nutrients like calcium, protein, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin A and vitamin B12. The high-quality protein in cheese provides the body with essential building blocks for strong muscles. For the lactose intolerant, many cheeses, particularly aged cheeses such as Cheddar and Swiss, contain little or no lactose and are often well tolerated.
It is recommended that individuals ages 9 and older consume at least 3 servings of milk, cheese or yogurt each day; children aged 4-8 years need 2-1/2 cups per day. One serving of cheese is one and one-half ounces of hard cheese, one-third cup for grated cheese and two ounces for processed cheese.
Satiety and Weight Loss:
Cheese is a great source of protein and calcium. Since protein curbs hunger and improves satiety after meals and snacks, cheese can aid weight loss. As part of a well-rounded eating plan, the protein in cheese can slow down the absorption of carbohydrates eaten at the same meal or snack and therefore help balance your blood-sugar levels and improve mood as well.
Dental Care:
Cheese has a very high calcium content, the first and foremost thing needed for strong teeth. Its low content of lactose is also beneficial for the teeth as any form of sugar (glucose, maltose or lactose) in food can harm the teeth.
Bone Health:
Apart from having a very high calcium content, cheese is also rich in vitamin-D, which is very good for children, women (particularly when pregnant or lactating) and elderly people, for the formation and strengthening of bones and cartilage. The vitamin-D in cheese aids the proper absorption and distribution of calcium.
Osteoporosis:
Osteoporosis is mainly a deficiency disease caused by a deficiency of calcium (non-absorption), resulting in a decrease in bone mineral density. This is particularly seen in women who have undergone menopause, elderly people and malnourished children. This can be treated with protein, calcium and a vitamin-D-rich diet. Calcium alone will not help much, because the problem is with its absorption and its utilization for bone formation. These three components are found in abundance in cheese. Therefore, cheese can form an ideal part of a diet for those suffering from osteoporosis.
Hypertension:
Sodium and cholesterol are the two elements mainly considered harmful for hypertension and hypertensive people are advised to avoid them.In this way, cheese should be viewed critically. The fat content of the cheese depends very much on the quality of the milk, whether it is full fat or full cream, low fat or fat free. In general, high-fat cheeses are more popular, since they tend to taste better. But, keeping in view the public demand and health concerns, low-fat cheeses are also being introduced to the market. This means that you need to be choosy while picking cheese for your home and diet.
Weight Gain:
Cheese is an excellent food for weight gain also!. Cheese is full of proteins, fats, calcium, vitamins and minerals. Protein is needed for muscle formation and growth, fats for fat-based processes in the body, calcium for heavier and stronger bones and vitamins and minerals for improved metabolic function.
Other Benefits:
Recent research shows that cheese contains conjugated linoleic acid and sphingolipids which help prevent cancer. It contains a lot of vitamin-B which develops in it during the fermentation process. Vitamin-B is very good for maintaining many functions in the body and also for protection against diseases like Beriberi. It also enhances blood formation, strengthens the liver, and facilitates the absorption of nutrients in the body. In women, it can also offer some relief from PMS symptoms. Cheese contains additional nutrients like zinc and biotin. Zinc has several functions in the body: It aids in tissue growth and repair, prevents and treats macular degeneration, protects your skin, and helps keep your nails strong. Both zinc and biotin are also important for hair health.
Caution:
The dairy in cheese makes it a trigger for some IBS sufferers. Aged cheeses are also common triggers for those who suffer frommigraines. People with celiac disease must check all cheese labels carefully, as some cheeses — including all blue cheeses — are made with bread mold.
For the past 30 years or so, saturated fat—found in meats, eggs, cheese, butter, whole milk, lard and some oils—was considered a primary cause of heart disease. New research, however, is showing that saturated fat has a minimal impact on heart disease risk, which is changing the "saturated fat is bad" paradigm and allowing people to enjoy cheese and other saturated fat containing foods. Further research is needed to purpot this anyway. Even if saturated fat is less of a concern, calories still matter. To reduce calories, you can grate or sprinkle harder cheeses over your dishes or use small amounts of aromatic and sharp cheeses for their delicious cheese flavor. Many reduced-fat varieties of cheeses are also available.
Although the sodium content of cheese varies according to the amount of salt added to the milk prior to cheese formation, it is never low enough to be recommended for hypertensive people, as salt is an inevitable part of cheese. In general, cheese is not recommended for people suffering from hypertension (high blood pressure). Although low sodium and low fat cheese is helpful in reducing homocysteine, an agent which is often related with heart diseases, this fact still does not make it recommendable for hypertensive people. Another thing in cheese that can help hypertensive people is the vitamin-B content, if they do choose to eat it.
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