Cheesy Myths That Aren’t True

As with any other popular food that is widely available, many people think they know a fair amount about cheese. In reality, however, a great deal of the cheese facts you may think you know are actually myths with no basis in truth. Here are some of the most common myths concerning cheese as well as the truth (or lack thereof) behind them.

Myth: Cheese Isn’t Vegetarian

There are many strict vegetarians who choose not to eat cheese because it might contain animal rennet. Animal rennet is found in a cow’s stomach and that means that any food containing it will not be vegetarian. It is true that rennet was traditionally used to help cheese coagulate and is still used sometimes. Despite this, not every cheese contains animal rennet (they may contain vegetable rennet like those cheeses produced at Golden Age Cheese) and you can find plenty of choices that are completely vegetarian.

Myth: Cheese Leads To Heart Disease

Cheese has gotten a bad reputation through the years when it comes to health and part of this is the myth that it leads to heart disease. The idea behind this is that by eating cheese with high levels of fat (including saturated fat), you increase your risk of heart disease. In reality, though, no scientific proof has confirmed this and some experts even suggest eating low-fat cheese to prevent heart disease.

Myth: You Can’t Eat Cheese If You’re Lactose Intolerant

Lactose intolerance can be confusing to outsiders, but even those who suffer from the condition believe that they can’t eat cheese. The truth, however, is that if you are lactose intolerant, you simply have to be selective about which cheese you try. Hard cheese, for example, tends to contain very little lactose as this substance is broken down during the aging process. Those with lactose intolerance should still avoid soft spreadable cheese, cottage cheese, and processed cheese depending on their particular situation.

Myth: Cheese Will Give You Nightmares

Not everyone has heard it, but there is an old wives’ tale that says that eating cheese will give you nightmares. In reality, however, the opposite is true as the tryptophan in cheese can induce sleep and reduce stress. The British Cheese Board even did a study with 200 volunteers who had cheese before bed, with no recorded nightmares.

Myth: Mice Prefer Cheese

When most people think of mice, they picture them eating cheese, but this is really the stuff of cartoons. A team at Manchester Metropolitan University took a look at foods rodents prefer and they found that sweet foods with lots of sugar, like chocolate, would be a mouse’s favorite.