CHOLESTEROL DIET SECRETS

Is Cheese Healthy?

What do pizza, pasta and burgers have in common?

Yes, it’s cheese, cheese and more cheese. According to the National Dairy Council, Americans are consuming more cheese than ever before, as much as 21% more compared to the 1990’s. This statistics is not surprising considering the quantity of pizzas, pastas and burgers being sold, and how consumers are catching on with cheese fondue delicacies.

Cheese comes in various shapes and sizes, texture, softness, color and taste. But however you slice it, Mozzarella, Swiss, Blue, Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Cottage or American – they all have something in common. Read on…

Cheese is made from a process of curdling (making thick) milk. Here is a simple math to remember -- “Cheese = 10 x Milk”. This means about ten pounds of milk is required to produce one pound of cheese. Hence, you can see cheese as having a very concentrated amount of the nutrients found in the milk. The good news is if you dislike drinking milk, you probably still have a chance to obtain pretty good nutrients from cheese. Cheese is a good source of high quality proteins and contains rich amount of calcium, and has a role in reducing osteoporosis, dental caries, and other nutritional-deficiency illnesses.

But nutritionists would caution you from over-consuming cheese as well because of the amount of fat and sodium that most cheese typically contain. Some cheese (especially those made from whole milk) could also be a contributor of extra weight in some people, especially those who are leading sedentary lifestyle with little or no exercise. Those who consume cheese regularly may also risk consuming too much sodium which could result in high blood pressure and hypertension problems.

Whichever type of cheese you like, always look for those with low fat. Hence, it is important to read the labels and moderate consumption. If you are in the high cholesterol group, you may consider cheese alternatives such as those offered by a small food company known as Galaxy Nutritional Foods, which sells its cheese under the brand “Veggie”. According to the company, Veggie cheese does not contain any saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, lactose and gluten.

Finally to all pizza lovers, go easy on the grated cheese. You probably don’t need that extra cheese sprinkle on your already cheese-rich pizza.

To your health,