Cheese Has Come To Save Us From Obesity and High Cholesterol
Don't cut the cheese! … Pun totally intended
For anyone who has ever said no to the freshly shaved parmesan on their pasta at Cheesecake Factory, or purposely left out cheese from their boring salad or Chipotle bowl because of the fear of fat and calories, I have glorious news for you.
According to several studies, a diet rich in cheese might just be the answer to a healthier life, with positive links to helping with common health concerns like heart disease and obesity.
I know this can be hard to believe because we've always looked at cheese and dairy products as the culprit for all our "fat" problems, but you don't have to take my word for it. Here are what studies are finding out about incorporating cheese into your diet.
Eating cheese increases our levels of “good” cholesterol
A group of researchers from the University of Copenhagen conducted a 12-week cheese test with 139 adults to discover how full-fat cheese can affect our bodies in different ways.
They split the subjects up into three groups. The first group were told to eat 80g of regular high-fat cheese every day, the second group ate 80g of reduced-fat cheese, while the third group didn't eat cheese and ate 90g of bread and jam each day instead.
The researchers report, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, that while no one experienced a change in their levels of "bad" cholesterol - those that ate the regular high-fat cheese saw an increase in their levels of "good" cholesterol.
Cheese helps prevent fat accumulation in the liver
A recent study from Japan found that cheese consumption prevents fat accumulation in the liver and has the potential to improve serum lipid parameters - how we measure for cardiovascular risk.
Cheese could be key to a faster metabolism and reduced obesity.
Hanne Bertram, a food scientist at Aarhus University in Denmark, compared urine and fecal samples from 15 men whose diets either contained cheese or milk, or ate a diet with butter but no other dairy products.
Bertram found that those who ate cheese had higher levels of butyric acid, a compound which has been linked to reduced obesity and higher metabolism. The higher butyrate levels were linked to a reduction in cholesterol.
High dairy products like cheese could help overweight people lose weight
Volunteers were put on a calorie-reduced diet but some were asked to eat more cheese, yogurt, and lowfat milk. Those who increased their dairy intake lost the most weight, had lower blood pressure and "significantly improved" their chances of avoiding heart disease and diabetes.
Dr Wendy Chan She Ping Delfos, from the Curtin University of Technology said: "Many people commonly believe that when trying to lose weight, dairy products are key foods that they have to cut out of their diet as they are high in fat.
Diets containing high levels of protein, calcium, and vitamin D, among other bioactive nutrients can be an important part of a prudent weight loss or weight maintenance diet."
So guys, in any situation, don't cut the cheese. Just have it moderation.
SHARE with your friends and family who might find it interesting that cheese can actually be good for you!