By Dr Karen Ansel; image from Freepik.com/mrsiraphol
Hello Cheddar my old friend…
It’s all thanks to butyrate, a fatty acid your guy produces in the presence of (mostly aged) cheese that may help thwart colon cancer, reduce disease-causing inflammation and ward off obesity. Each of these seven dairy dreams serves up a different, delicious health perk.
1. Calm PMS with… Parmesan
According to the study, 25 percent of women say that when their period hits they suffer from severe premenstrual agony (and we suspect the rest were too miserable to weigh in). Meeting you daily 1 000mg quota of calcium can help tame fatigue, cravings and mood swings. Few cheese – heck, few foods – pack as much as Parm. A single serving will get you halfway to that thousand – and all the way to Yumtown.
READ MORE: “I’m A Nutritionist And This Is The Eating Secret I Swear By For Clear Skin And Less Bloating”
2. Safeguard your heart with… Feta
A 2015 heart-health study found that people who downed 56 grams of cheeses, like feta, daily were less likely to die of cardiovascular disease and 41 percent less likely to have a stroke. Compared with other soft cheeses, this block has one-third less artery-clogging saturated fat.
3. Build muscle with… Ricotta
Turns out, Miss Muffet knew a good thing when she saw it. Whey, a complete protein found in milk, usually gets tossed when cheese is made. Not so with ricotta: It’s loaded with 14 body-toning grams pre half-cup. It’s also rich in amino acid leucine, which can stimulate muscle growth and, in turn, shrink your tuffet.
READ MORE: “I Cut Out Everything And Only Ate Protein – This Is What Happened”
4. Save your smile with… Cheddar
Here’s news you can sink your teeth into: a study found that eating Cheddar may help guard your pearly whites against cavities. Researchers believe the cheese may help make the inside of your mouth less acidic, which can prevent tooth enamel from eroding and increase saliva production to dilute plaque-causing sugar and bacteria. just 28g of cheddar after a meal or snack can also cut down on the production of acid by 30 percent.
5. Bypass bloating with… Emmental
Does dairy make your belly swell up like Table Mountain? You may still be able to enjoy the taste of this hole-y roller… minus the bloating. When firm cheese, like Emmental, is made, most of the lactose is removed. The result: cheese with less than a gram of lactose per serving (vervus 12g in a single serving of milk). However, if you’re allergic to the protein in dairy, stay clear. Sorry!
READ MORE: 6 Superfood Powders That’ll Give Your Body A Boost
6. Slim down with… Mozzarella
The classic pizza topper has a third fewer kilojoules than most cheeses, clocking in at just 450kJ per serving. It shreds the munchies with over 10 whooping grams of protein to fill you up and has one-third of your daily dose of fat-burning calcium.
7. Fend off diabetes with… Gruyére
This cow’s milk wedge racks up more butyrate than most aged varieties, making it your ticket to the benefits mentioned on the left and then some: research suggests that butyrate could help keep blood-sugar levels steady after eating, lowering your risk of type-2 diabetes.
These are officially the 8 best teas for your health. Plus: “I tried eating Greek yoghurt for breakfast every day for a week – here’s what happened”
