is it healthy...?

Question

is cheese healthy for you i am trying to loose weight and i need to know if it is healthy cause i am hooked on it!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 1

Cheese is typically high in saturated fats and in general should be limited to an "occasional" food in any normal diet (if you would like more information on "why" then feel free to ask). On the other hand, cheese is not typically a high-glycemic index food and so in relation to weight loss it is not as critical to avoid as high-glycemic index items such as french fries, sugar, and processed foods such as bread, pastas, and rice.

If you are trying to control your weight I would suggest that you find a glycemic index chart and stick to a balanced selection of lower glycemic index foods, eat 5-6 "small" meals a day, and you must exercise - assuming that you healthy enough to do so.

DISCLAIMER: Please note that I am not a Dr. or a nutritionist and do not claim to be an expert on this topic. This information is simply based upon my readings over the past ten years.

Answer 2

it is healthy if you eat a small portion, its part of the milk category. the only time it would be good it when you are on a low carb diet if not then you should cut cheese out all together.

Answer 3

In moderation it is healthy.

Know that cheese is a binding protein, so um...it will make you constipated if you consume too much of it. It's kinda fatty too, so watch out for that, and the fact that there is a LOT of salt in it.

Answer 4

the crucial point is : as less fats as possible . u can eat cheese with low fats , or , if u cant , eat lots of veg.s in addition to cheese. exercises r necessary as well .

Answer 5

cheese is healthy but it certainly increases weight.

Answer 6

Yeah cheese is very much healthy da!!!!

Answer 7

Cheese is a solid food made from the curdled milk of cows, goats, sheep, water buffalo or other mammals. The milk is curdled using some combination of rennet (or rennet substitutes) and acidification. Bacteria acidify the milk and play a role in defining the texture and flavor of most cheeses. Some cheeses also feature molds, either on the outer rind or throughout.

There are hundreds of types of cheese produced all over the world. Different styles and flavors of cheese are the result of using different species of bacteria and molds, different levels of milk fat, variations in length of aging, differing processing treatments (cheddaring, pulling, brining, mold wash) and different breeds of cows, sheep, or other mammals. Other factors include animal diet and the addition of flavoring agents such as herbs, spices, or wood smoke. Whether the milk is pasteurized may also affect the flavor. Cheeses are eaten both on their own and cooked into various dishes; most cheeses melt when cooked.

For a few cheeses, the milk is curdled by adding acids such as vinegar or lemon juice. Most cheeses, however, are acidified to a lesser degree by bacteria, which turn milk sugars into lactic acid, followed by the addition of rennet to complete the curdling. Rennet is an enzyme traditionally obtained from the stomach lining of young cattle, but now also laboratory produced. Vegetarian alternatives to rennet are also available; most are produced by fermentation of the fungus Mucor miehei, but substitute "vegetable rennets" have also been extracted from various species of the Cynara thistle family.

In general, cheese supplies a great deal of calcium, protein, and phosphorus. A 30 gram (one ounce) serving of cheddar cheese contains about seven grams of protein and 200 milligrams of calcium. Nutritionally, cheese is essentially concentrated milk: it takes about 200 grams (seven ounces) of milk to provide that much protein, and 150 grams to equal the calcium.[8]

Cheese shares milk's nutritional disadvantages as well. The Center for Science in the Public Interest condemns cheese as America's number one source of saturated fat, adding that the average American ate 30 pounds (13.6 kg) of cheese in the year 2000, up from 11 pounds (5 kg) in 1970.[9] Their recommendation is to limit full-fat cheese consumption to two ounces (60 grams) a week. Whether cheese's highly saturated fat actually leads to an increased risk of heart disease is called into question when considering France and Greece, which lead the world in cheese eating (more than 14 ounces (400 grams) a week per person, or over 45 pounds (20 kg) a year) yet have relatively low rates of heart disease.[10] This seeming discrepancy is called the French Paradox; the higher rates of consumption of red wine in these countries is often invoked as at least a partial explanation.

A number of food safety agencies around the world have warned of the risks of raw-milk cheeses. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration states that soft raw-milk cheeses can cause "serious infectious diseases including listeriosis, brucellosis, salmonellosis and tuberculosis".[11] It is U.S. law since 1944 that all raw-milk cheeses (including imports since 1951) must be aged at least 60 days. Australia has a wide ban on raw-milk cheeses as well, though in recent years exceptions have been made for Swiss Gruyère, Emmental and Sbrinz, and for French Roquefort.[12] Some say these worries are overblown, pointing out that pasteurization of the milk used to make cheese does not ensure its safety in any case.[13] This is supported by statistics showing that in Europe (where young raw-milk cheeses are still legal in some countries), most cheese-related food poisoning incidents were traced to pasteurized cheeses. Pregnant women may face an additional risk from cheese; the U.S. Centers for Disease Control has warned pregnant women against eating soft-ripened cheeses and blue-veined cheeses, due to the listeria risk to the unborn baby.[14]

Some studies claim to show that cheeses including Cheddar, Mozzarella, Swiss and American can help to prevent tooth decay.[15] Several mechanisms for this protection have been proposed:

The calcium, protein, and phosphorus in cheese may act to protect tooth enamel.
Cheese increases saliva flow, washing away acids and sugars.
Cheese may have an antibacterial effect in the mouth.
Cheese is often avoided by those who are lactose intolerant, but ripened cheeses like Cheddar contain only about 5% of the lactose found in whole milk, and aged cheeses contain almost none.[16] Some people suffer reactions to amines found in cheese, particularly histamine and tyramine. Some aged cheeses contain significant concentrations of these amines, which can trigger symptoms mimicking an allergic reaction: headaches, rashes, and blood pressure elevations.