Cheese - How is it Beneficial?

The process of cheese making is an age old practice dating back to ancient times and is practiced all over the world. As a dairy product, produced in a manner akin to that of yogurt production, cheese can be made in numerous ways, depending on how the curdling milk coagulates and on the nature of decomposition of the solid particles like proteins and fats, and the liquid particles. Further, through the application of acids, such as vinegar or lemon juice, the final product can be altered and determined according to its consistency, flavor and appearance. Usually, acids are used for catalytic purposes in the production of soft cheeses like Cottage cheese, Camembert, Brie, Ricotta cheese and sour cream, which do not normally require much time to age. In contrast, semi-hard and hard cheeses are made with rennet and ripened with bacteria or mold.

These include Parmesan, Blue, Swiss, Roquefort, Cheddar, Colby and Asiago cheeses and are more often known as grating cheeses.

Cheese, like other dairy products, is highly nutritious, rich in calcium content, protein, vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin K2, sodium, phosphorus, selenium, zinc riboflavin as well as probiotics. Besides its high nutritional value, here are other benefits which you may acquire from the consumption of cheese:

Strong and healthy bones

Cheese has always been considered an ideal source of nutrients for bone health, especially because of the presence of B-complex vitamins along with high protein and calcium content. With the right amount of cheese, a number of bone problems associated with ageing like Osteoporosis, for instance, can be prevented. Moreover, cheese also protects your teeth from acid erosion, caused by tea, coffee, soda or wine, as they help in raising the natural pH levels in the mouth.

Heart benefits
Cheese consumption also helps in protecting your heart from threats of cardiovascular and coronary heart diseases.

Favorable for athletes
Cheese contains a fat-burning conjugated linoleic acid, which helps reduce the size of fat cells and is effective in burning fats to muscles. In addition, with the presence of a fairly high level of calories, cheese helps the athlete in gaining mass, thereby making it immensely favorable for athletes.