The Surprising Health Benefits of Cheese

Cheese is an ingredient that causes many dishes to go from plain and boring to tasty and satisfying. But with all of the emphasis on low-fat lifestyles, some people choose to avoid cheese. It is true that if you eat large amounts of cheese, the calories do add up, and cheese can also be high in saturated fat. For instance, a single stick of string cheese can contain five or more grams of saturated to only 80 - 100 calories.

Fortunately, today many low-fat varieties of cheeses are available, for those who are calorie conscious. Additional help can be had for those who choose to eat cheese together with fresh fruit, a perfect complement to cheese.

As surprising as it may seem, diets which are rich in dairy products, including cheese in moderate amounts, are associated with lower body weight. Consumption of diary products also is linked to a reduced risk of developing insulin resistance syndrome.

Here are some other benefits:

Cheese is a good source of calcium, which helps to build strong bones and teeth. Calcium also helps prevent osteoporosis. In 1999, cheese provided 25% of the calcium available in the American food chain, making it an important and readily available source of calcium.

Cheese also contains a large amount of other essential nutrients such as phosphorous, zinc, riboflavin, vitamin B12 and vitamin A.

Those of you who have children who are cavity prone might appreciate the fact that many cheeses, including processed American, Bleu, Monterey Jack, Cheddar, and Swiss have been proven to reduce tooth decay. This is in part due to increased saliva production upon eating cheeses, which helps to aid food clearance. Additionally, the milk proteins in cheese help neutralize plaque acids and also help prevent acid demineralization and help remineralization of tooth enamel. For these reasons, it is recommended that cheese be consumed immediately after meals, and as in-between-meal snacks when brushing may not be an option.

A diet which consists of three dairy servings a day (including milk, yogurt and cheese) and up to eight to ten servings of fruits and vegetables have been shown to reduce numerous risk factors for heart disease.

People who are lactose intolerant will find the health benefits of cheese especially helpful. This is because aged cheeses, particularly Cheddar and Swiss can be safely consumed by people who are lactose intolerant because aged cheeses contain little or no lactose. Thus, cheese consumption helps lactose intolerant people to get the needed calcium and other nutrients found in cheese.

So go ahead and enjoy snacking on cheese. When eaten in moderation, it can actually help, rather than hurt your health.