Interesting Nutrition Facts About Cheese You Should Know

Even if you eat cheese every single day, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you are aware of its nutrition. Cheese is very good for you, providing calcium and other nutrients, and if you eat it in moderation, it can also be low in fat and salt. Each of the hundreds of cheese varieties has its own specific nutritional information, but here are some interesting facts you may be interested to learn.

Cheese Contains Calcium And Protein

Starting off with some nutrition facts you probably already do know about cheese, this dairy product is an excellent source of both calcium and protein. A single serving of mozzarella, cheddar, or Swiss (one ounce) will deliver 200 milligrams of calcium, about a fifth of the recommended daily amount. Just one serving of hard cheese can also deliver 8 grams of protein, putting you well on your way to your daily goal and making it a smart choice for vegetarians.

Cheese Has Probiotics

If you take antibiotics, this can sometimes affect the balance between gut bacteria that “good” and “bad.” To get the good bacteria back in your gut, eating cheese is one of the simplest ways to go. This is all thanks to the probiotics in cheese, the “good” bacteria which regulate gut flora. This means that eating cheese gives you the nutrients needed to improve your gut’s environment and therefore your overall health. A healthy intestine can improve your digestive, heart, and brain health.

Not All Cheese Is High Fat

While it is true that some types of cheese are high in fat, you can still enjoy those in moderation. If you absolutely love cheese, you will be glad to know that not all have high fat content. Even if you do choose a cheese with higher levels of fat, it likely won’t be enough to make a negative impact on your diet, unless you eat excessive amounts. To give you some ideas of fat content, a serving of cream cheese has 34 percent fat content while cottage cheese is only made up of one percent fat.

Cheese Fat Can Be Healthy

Not only are the “unhealthy” fats in most cheeses there in such small quantities that you shouldn’t have issues, but many of the fats in cheese are actually healthy. Cheese is complex with hundreds of fatty acids, most of which are good for you. It also contains a great deal of monounsaturated fat, one of the best types. Cheese also has ruminant (or dairy) trans fats, which unlike processed trans fats, provide health benefits.

Three Cheese Myths Busted

As with any delicious food, there are numerous myths surrounding cheese. The most common are related to nutrition, but you can also find myths about cooking techniques, origins, and more. Out of the various cheese myths, the following include some of those with the most misleading information. By setting the record straight, you will be able to enjoy our cheese without guilt.

Myth: Those With Lactose Intolerance Can’t Eat Cheese

The idea that those who are lactose intolerant cannot eat cheese seems to make sense. After all, milk has lactose and cheese is made from milk. The reality, however, is that even those with lactose intolerance can enjoy cheese, provided they select the right types. Cheese that retains more whey has a higher level of lactose.

This means that some folks with lactose intolerance really should avoid soft and moist cheeses. However some can safely eat hard, dry cheese. Of course, many people who have negative effects with cheese made from cow’s milk will also find that from the milk of goats or sheep to be fine.

Myth: Cheese And Diets Are Mutually Exclusively

Another common myth says that if you are on a diet, or even just trying to eat healthy, you should avoid cheese. While it is true that cheese has a relatively high fat content, you can still follow a healthy diet and enjoy it. Just do so in limited quantities and select your cheese carefully. Those trying to watch their fat should opt for goat’s milk cheese as it has the lowest fat content. Soft cheeses also tend to have less fat than harder ones because of the difference in moisture content. For those whose diet includes a reduced intake of salt, stick to one of the cheeses with a lower salt content. These include cottage cheese, mozzarella, Emmental, and cream cheese.

Myth: Cheese Is Addictive

One of the more recent myths involving cheese is that it is addictive. This is due to research from the University of Michigan that included cheese on their list of foods with refined carbs and added fats that are more difficult to give up. The inclusion of cheese, however, was very far down the list. In fact, it sat below items like bananas, eggs, and broccoli!

The theory that cheese may be addictive comes down to its casein. The idea is that when the body breaks casein down, a by-product casomorphin has addictive effects on the brain in a way similar to morphine. However, that claim was from someone who actively promotes veganism, meaning they have a clear bias. Additionally, the European Food Safety Authority has expressed extreme doubt that these casomoprhins would even enter the brain or bloodstream as they enter the intestine. In other words, only a very small handful of experts thing cheese is addictive; the overwhelming majority disagree.

Four Facts About The Origin Of Cheese

Today, we take cheese as a given, assuming that we will be able to find it almost no matter where in the world we go. Next time you are eating your favorite type of this dairy snack, take some time to reflect on the origins of it. You can easily find details of the history of cheese, but here are some of the most interesting facts about its origins. 

It Has Been Around For At Least 4,000 Years 

Experts agree that cheese has been in existence for a minimum of 4,000 years. The proof of this date comes from murals in Egyptian tombs. While this is the earliest evidence we have that cheese has been around for thousands of years, it is entirely possible that it existed even longer than this. 

Our Guess Of How It Was Invented

Because cheese was invented so long ago, the exact origins of it have long been lost to history. That being said, most experts agree on the same theory, that you will find on nearly any website dedicated to cheese. Most likely a traveler of some sort, possibly a nomad on a camel, was traveling across the dessert. He likely filled up his saddlebag with milk to drink along the way. 

At the time, saddlebags were sheep stomachs that had been dried. It is likely that due to the heat of desert, after just a few hours of traveling, the milk would have separated. By the time he went to have a drink, he discovered curds (white solids) and whey (the milky fluid). Most assume that this traveler discovered that the curds were delicious and the why still drinkable. 

There is another theory, which is that men gave the Gods milk as an offering. When they put it out in warmer weather, they noticed the milk would thicken. They may have noticed that it would curdle and then drained the liquid, discovering it firmed up, accidentally creating soft cheese. 

Asian Travelers Brought It To Europe

The theories involving the first cheese are focused in Asia because we know that Asian travelers brought cheesemaking to the European continent. It was particularly popular in the Roman Empire, and they spread it to England. By the 10th Century, Italy was the continent’s cheesemaking center. 

Many Of Our Favorite Cheeses Began During The Late Middle Ages

The first records of some of today’s most popular cheeses appeared during the middle ages. These include Cheddar in 1500, Parmigiano-Reggiano in 1597, Gouda during 1697, and finally, Camembert in 1791.