Health Benefits of Cheese

There are many different cheeses in the world — and in your supermarket — but the healthiest choices are cheeses that are lower in fat and sodium.

Cheese is a great source of protein and calcium. Since protein curbs hunger and keeps you feeling satisfied after meals and snacks, cheese can help you to lose weight.

The calcium in cheese can help keep your teeth and bones strong and guard against osteoporosis. Cheese contains additional nutrients like zinc and biotin. Zinc has several functions in the body: It aids in tissue growth and repair, prevents and treats macular degeneration, protects your skin, and helps keep your nails strong. Both zinc and biotin are also important for hair health.

The problem with cheese is that it’s often high in saturated fat, which in excess can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, arthritis, and memory loss. It can also derail your weight loss efforts since full-fat cheese is higher in calories, as well as saturated fat. Look for cheeses that are reduced-fat and fat-free to take advantage of the nutritional benefits of cheese without any of these disadvantages. And watch out for sodium too! Cheese can contain a lot of sodium. The best types of cheese are fat-free and reduced-fat cheddar, mozzarella, Parmesan, Swiss, feta, goat, cottage cheese, and ricotta cheese.