Is cheese good for you?

22 Jan 2021

If you are reading this, we shall assume that you, like us, are an avid cheese lover. From Teifi to Tysilio, we just can’t seem to get enough! As well as enjoying its variety of flavours, knowing that consuming cheese (in moderation!) can benefit our health makes it much more satisfying.

Cheese contains a variety of vitamins and minerals. It is most well known for being incredibly rich in calcium and vitamin A. It also contains many more vitamins including B6 and B12. However, we all also know that cheese can be highly calorific. Its main components are fat, protein, calcium and sodium but it can also contain a small amount of carbohydrates.

As previously mentioned, cheese comes in a variety of flavours, textures, and forms and that’s why we love it! This variety also applies to what we find in our cheese. Here’s what components they contain how they can benefit you.

Benefits

We all know cheese is rich in calcium, which is great for bones and teeth, but did you know the body itself cannot produce calcium? Therefore, it relies on our diet to access it. A small amount of cheese can provide us with a substantial amount of calcium that our body needs.
Calcium is also key in tooth formation and can even help keep your teeth healthy. Some studies show that eating cheese can raise the pH level in plaque. A low pH can put you at risk of developing cavities. We do not recommend swapping toothpaste for Teifi but having cheese in your diet could help keep your teeth pearly.
Now for probiotics! If you have heard of probiotics, then you will know that they’re great for our guts! Probiotics boost healthy gut bacteria and maintain a balance in your gut. As cheese is a fermented food, it is a haven for probiotics. A healthy gut aids digestion and therefore reduces the risk of intestinal illness and helps you maintain your weight.
Cheese is also a great source of protein, with your average 30g portion of cheddar containing approximately 7g of protein. If you struggle to get your daily protein intake, a small amount of cheese will help!

The benefits of certain cheeses…

To eat cheese in a healthy way, you need to look at it in the context of your overall diet. All cheeses have different nutritional benefits, meaning they are all good for different things.

Feta such as Ffetys is low in calories but can be high in sodium.
A blue cheese like Perl Las is higher in fat and calories but is fully loaded with calcium and can enhance the health benefits associated with the mineral.
Cheddar, such as Hafod is rich in protein and calcium and a good source of vitamin K, specifically vitamin K2. Vitamin K is important for heart and bone health.
If you have had a high intake of fat for the day, opt for a goats’ cheese such as Pant-Ys-Gawn. Goats milk has more medium chain fatty acids than cows’ milk. These types of fats are rapidly absorbed and are less likely to be stored as body fat.

Summary

We are in luck! Eating cheese in moderation is proven to provide many health benefits, so there’s no need to remove the beloved cheese from your daily diet. Just make sure not to overindulge and consider what food groups you have already consumed enough of each day.