It’s easy to think of cheese in the same way as cake, bread, and other waistline offenders. There are some surprising health benefits of cheese, however. Some dairy products might pack on the pounds, but many kinds of cheese are good for you in moderation, as part of a balanced diet.
Here are a few surprising health benefits of cheese…
One surprising health benefit of cheese is it may help you stay slim
Thanks to a substance called butyrate, which is found in many kinds of cheese, your favorite nibble may help you stay slim.
- Gruyère
- Blue
- Gouda
- Parmesan
- Cheddar
All of the above have high amounts of butyrate. The reason it helps you stay slim is that butyrate helps to boost your metabolism.
Cheese is good for building muscle
One of the health benefits of cheese is that it is packed with protein, so it is a smart snack for building muscle. Protein is made of amino acids – these are the building blocks of muscle tissue. Ricotta cheese is best for this as it is the best source of whey protein, which is best for muscle building. Ricotta cheese also tastes better than protein powder.
Another of the health benefits of cheese is that it is good for your bones
Because it is made from milk, cheese is packed with calcium. This helps keep our bones strong. Just one ounce of Parmesan provides 336 milligrams of calcium. The same amount of cheddar offers 216 milligrams. Both of these are a good portion of the required amounts. Most adult men, for example, need 1,000 milligrams of calcium daily.
Cheese may ward off diabetes
Upgrade from hamburger to cheeseburger. Another of the health benefits of cheese is that Butyrate-rich cheese may help protect against type 2 diabetes. Mice fed butyrate-enriched food had lower levels of insulin than mice who ate regular food. This is according to a study published in Diabetes.
Scientists suspect that butyrate might help humans use insulin more effectively too.
Another of the health benefits of cheese is that he lactose-intolerant can eat certain types
If you are lactose-intolerant, you can still eat certain types of cheese. Certain cheeses have lactose removed, naturally, as a part of the manufacturing and aging process. These cheeses include:
- Parmesan
- Cheddar
- Gouda
- Swiss
- Mozzarella
- Brie
If you are lactose-intolerant, try just a bit. Just one ounce of these cheeses contains less than a gram of lactose. This is compared with the 12 grams of lactose you would get from a glass of milk.
Cheese is the best comfort food
A very surprising health benefit of cheese is that it is excellent comfort food. Every now and then, everybody needs comfort food. The ironic thing is, comfort food is almost always bad for us. So, if you need some comfort food then go grab some cheese.
Cheese has some big benefits in nutrition, compared with ice cream, cookies, or a bag of chips. That said, stick to a couple of small cubes as opposed to a large chunk of the good stuff – those calories can quickly add up.
