Cheese, low-fat Cheese, low-fat

Cheese, low-fat Cheese, low-fat

There are few of us that are not partial to one or more of the over 1,000 different varieties of cheeses that offer a wide spectrum of flavors, textures and aromas. Low-fat varieties can add flavor and nutrition to our menus througout the year.

Cheese varieties are distinguished by what type of milk is used, the production methods and local tastes and preferences. The process of making cheese is considered an art, akin to winemaking in many parts of the world.

As a general rule, we favor low-fat dairy products rather than products made from whole milk, although we understand that there are individuals for whom whole milk dairy products may appropriate. For detailed insights on this topic, please read our report on the subject.

Food Chart
This chart graphically details the %DV that a serving of Cheese, low-fat provides for each of the nutrients of which it is a good, very good, or excellent source according to our Food Rating System. Additional information about the amount of these nutrients provided by Cheese, low-fat can be found in the Food Rating System Chart. A link that takes you to the In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Cheese, low-fat, featuring information over 80 nutrients, can be found under the Food Rating System Chart.

Health Benefits
Description
History
How to Select and Store
How to Enjoy
Individual Concerns
Nutritional Profile
References

Health Benefits

Calcium Helps Prevent Colon Cancer, Osteoporosis, Migraine and PMS

In recent studies, calcium has been shown to:

Help protect colon cells from cancer-causing chemicals
Help prevent the bone loss that can occur as a result of menopause or certain conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis
Help prevent migraine headaches in those who suffer from them
Reduce PMS symptoms during the luteal phase (the second half) of the menstrual cycle

Calcium is best known for its role in maintaining the strength and density of bones. In a process known as bone mineralization, calcium and phosphorus join to form calcium phosphate. Calcium phosphate is a major component of the mineral complex (called hydroxyapatite) that gives structure and strength to bones. One ounce of low-fat mozzarella cheese provides 18.3% of the daily value for calcium along with 13.1% of the DV for phosphorus.(Please note that the low-fat mozzarella cited throughout this article is not the only type of low-fat cheese that we recommend. We just chose it as an example of a low-fat cheese so that we can highlight this food's nutritional attributes.)

Calcium also plays a role in many other vital physiological activities, including blood clotting, nerve conduction, muscle contraction, regulation of enzyme activity, cell membrane function and blood pressure regulation. Because these activities are essential to life, the body utilizes complex regulatory systems to tightly control the amount of calcium in the blood, so that sufficient calcium is always available. As a result, when dietary intake of calcium is too low to maintain adequate blood levels of calcium, calcium stores are drawn out of the bones to maintain normal blood concentrations. If a person's diet does not supply adequate calcium, this situation can result in osteoporosis after many years.

Calcium-rich Foods Better than Supplements for Growing Girls

For young girls going through the rapid growth spurts of puberty, getting calcium from dairy products, such as cheese, may be better for building bone than taking a calcium supplement, suggests a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Finnish researchers enrolled 195 healthy girls aged 10-12 years and divided them into 4 groups. One group was given supplemental calcium (1000 mg) + vitamin D3 (200 IU) each day. The second group received only supplemental calcium (1000 mg/day). The third group ate cheese supplying 1,000 mg of calcium each day, and the fourth group was given a placebo supplement.

At the beginning and end of the study, DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) scans were run to check bone indexes of the hip, spine, and whole body, and the radius and tibia were checked by peripheral quantitative computed tomography.

At the conclusion of the study, girls getting their calcium from cheese had higher whole-body bone mineral density and cortical thickness of the tibia than girls given supplemental calcium + vitamin D, supplemental calcium alone, or placebo. While the researchers noted that differences in the rate at which different children naturally grow might account for some of the differences seen in bone mineral density, they concluded: "Increasing calcium intake by consuming cheese appears to be more beneficial for cortical bone mass accrual than the consumption of tablets containing a similar amount of calcium."

Dairy Products Protective against Gout

Gout, a common type of arthritis whose onset typically involves the big toe, has been linked to eating foods high in purines (organ meats, meats, shellfish, herring, sardines, mackerel, anchovies and Brewer's yeast). A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine confirms that eating meat or fish increases the chances of developing gout, but adds a new point of protective data: eating more dairy actually decreases gout risk.

Purines, one of the nucleic acid building blocks of DNA and RNA, contribute to gout since they are metabolized to form uric acid, which if produced in excess, can deposit in joints causing pain, redness and swelling.

In addition to eating lots of meats and fish high in purines, consuming too much alcohol, saturated fat, refined carbohydrates and simple sugars can also increase the risk of gout.

Alcohol increases the rate of uric acid production and also impairs kidney function, thus slowing the excretion of uric acid. Consumption of refined carbohydrates, simple sugars and saturated fats—all of which promote obesity—also result in increased uric acid production and decreased excretion.

Not surprisingly, in this study, in addition to men eating the most meat and purine-rich fish, both obese men and those drinking alcohol also had more gout.

The study, an analysis drawn from data collected during the prospective Health Professionals Followup Study on 47,000 adult men, revealed that among those who ate the most red meat, fish or seafood of any type, risk of gout was increased by as much as 50%. In contrast, risk of contracting gout decreased with increasing intake of dairy products. Men consuming the most dairy products cut their risk of gout by almost 50%! Although some vegetables like beans, peas, lentils, asparagus, cauliflower, spinach and mushrooms are also high in purines, no association was found in this study between eating purine-rich plant foods and an increased risk of gout.

A Very Good Source of Protein

Cheese is a good source of protein; for example, the nutritional profile of the part-skim mozzarella cheese featured on this page shows that it provides 6.9 grams of protein (13.8% of the daily value for protein) in one ounce for a caloric cost of only 72 calories. The structure of humans and animals is built on protein. We rely on animal and vegetable protein for our supply of amino acids, and then our bodies rearrange the nitrogen to create the pattern of amino acids we require.

Calcium-rich Dairy foods Boost the Body's Burning of Fat After a Meal

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition not only shows a diet rich in calcium, which is supplied by low-fat cheese, is associated with fat loss but may help explain why.

Normal-weight women ranging in age from 18-30 years were randomly assigned to a low (less than 800 mg per day) or high (1000-1400 mg per day) calcium diet for 1 year, and the rate at which their bodies burned fat after a meal was assessed at the beginning and end of the study.

After 1 year, fat oxidation (burning) was 20 times higher in women eating the high calcium diet compared to those in the low-calcium control group (0.10 vs. 0.005 gram per minute).

The women's blood levels of parathyroid hormone were also checked and were found to correlate with their rate of fat oxidation. (The primary function of parathyroid hormone is to maintain normal levels of calcium in the body. When calcium levels drop too low, parathyroid hormone is secreted to instruct bone cells to release calcium into the bloodstream.)

Higher blood levels of parathyroid hormone were associated with a lower rate of fat oxidation and lower dietary calcium intake, while lower blood levels of parathyroid hormone levels were seen in the women consuming a diet high in calcium, who were burning fat more rapidly after a meal. So, it appears that a high-calcium diet increases fat oxidation, at least in part, by lessening the need for parathyroid hormone secretion, thus keeping blood levels of the hormone low.

Dairy Foods Protective against Metabolic Syndrome
Including low-fat cheese and other dairy products in your healthy way of eating may reduce your risk of metabolic syndrome by up to 62%, shows the 20-year Caerphilly prospective study involving 2,375 Welsh men ranging in age from 45-59. Researchers have proposed that conjugated linolenic acid (a healthy fat found in greatest amounts in dairy foods from grass fed cows) may improve insulin action and reduce blood glucose levels. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2007 Aug;61(:695-8.

Practical Tip: Enjoy a pint of milk and/or a serving of yogurt, cottage cheese or cheese daily. Men who drank a daily pint of milk in the Caerphilly study reduced their risk of metabolic syndrome by 62%. Regular consumption of other dairy products, such as yogurt and cheese, reduced metabolic syndrome risk by 56%.

Dairy Foods' Calcium Protective against Breast Cancer

When French researchers analyzed the dietary intakes of 3,627 women using five 24-hour records completed over the course of 18 months, those with the highest average dairy intake had a 45% lower risk of developing breast cancer than women with the lowest average intake. When only pre-menopausal women were considered, benefits were even greater; those with the highest average dairy intake had a 65% reduction in breast cancer risk. Analysis indicates the calcium provided by dairy foods is the reason why. Increasing calcium intake was associated with a 50% reduction in breast cancer risk for the whole population, and a 74% reduction for pre-menopausal women. Ann Nutr Metab. 2007;51(2):139-45. Epub 2007 May 29.

Practical Tip: If you are allergic to dairy foods made from cow's milk, you may be able to tolerate those made from goat's or sheep's milk. You can also increase your calcium intake by making sesame seeds; spinach; blackstrap molasses; and collard, turnip or mustard greens, regular additions to your healthy way of eating.

Description

Not only is cheese a nutritious food, it is one of the most prized and enjoyed foods in the world. The process of making cheese is actually considered an art, akin to winemaking. While all cheeses are made from the same raw ingredient—the milk of an animal such as a cow, sheep or goat—there are thousands of different varieties of cheese throughout the world, all of which feature unique tastes and textures.

Cheese is often classified into categories that reflect its texture and/or processing. Some of the categories and the cheeses that are included are:

Fresh cheese: Marscapone, Ricotta and Quark
Soft cheeses: St. Andre, Bel Paese and Brie
Semi-firm cheeses: Cheddar, Gouda, Monterey jack and Fontina
Firm cheeses: Jarlsberg, Raclette, Parmesan and Romano
Blue-veined (or bleu) cheeses: Stilton, Gorgonzola and Danish Blue

History

Although it is uncertain when it began, the practice of cheese making is thought to be ancient, dating back more than 10,000 years. The discovery of being able to create cheese from milk is thought to have arisen by accident. The legend surrounding its discovery tells of an Arabian traveler who placed milk in a canteen made from sheep's stomach that he was carrying during a journey across the desert. To his surprise, after several hours he found that the milk had changed into cheese curds, the alchemical process owing to the combination of the sun's heat and the coagulating enzyme rennin that was present in the sheep's stomach.

Every since this early time, cheese has become a greatly appreciated food in many cultures. It was an especially popular food in ancient Rome. It was so important that larger houses actually had separate rooms where cheese was made and matured. Cheese was so honored that it was also served at many of the emperors' banquets. During these times, the art of cheesemaking was greatly advanced with certain varieties, such as Parmesan and Pecorino, being developed by the Romans.

During the Middle Ages, the monasteries became the significant epicenters of cheesemaking. Many of the cheeses developed during that time still carry the name of their monastic origin including Limburger, Munster and Pont-lÉvique. While cheese fell out of popularity in the Renaissance since it was thought to be unhealthy, its general appreciation was revived during the 19th century, when larger scale production techniques were developed.

One of the unique things about cheese is that not only is it produced in many different countries, but also that different cheeses are closely associated with their country of origin. Some examples include England, which is known for its Cheddar; Norway, which is known for its Jarslberg; Italy, which is known for its Parmesan; and the United States (specifically Wisconsin) which is known for its Colby.

How to Select and Store

There are different purchase qualities to look for depending upon the cheese type. Soft cheeses should be uniform in color throughout, and the cheese should fill out the crust casing, which itself should be free from cracks and not too dry. Semi-firm cheese should not be too crumbly or dry with the color being relatively uniform. Hard cheeses should be uniform in color and have a firm, uncracked rind that is not too dry or pasty. Bleu cheeses should be not too dry nor too crumbly, and should feature veining that is evenly distributed.

If your market has a cheese department, speak with the person who specializes in cheese. She or he can help you choose the best quality cheese as well as introduce you to different cheeses that you may not have yet tried, which can help you to expand your repetoire and more greatly appreciate this wonderful food.

All cheeses, regardless of variety, should be well wrapped and kept in the warmest section of the refrigerator. (The refrigerator door is often one of the warmest spots). As storage life is related to the moisture content of the cheese, the softer the cheese, the shorter amount of time it will keep fresh. In general, firm and semi-firm cheeses will keep for two weeks while soft, bleu and grated cheeses will keep for about one week.

How to Enjoy

For some of our favorite recipes, click Recipes.

Tips for Cooking with Cheese:

If your recipe calls for grated cheese, use cheese that has a firm texture since it is the only kind suitable for grating. It will be easier to grate if it is cold, right out of the refrigerator, rather than if it has been at room temperature for a while.

For all other purposes, as the flavor of cheese is more intense when it is a bit warmer, remove it from the refrigerator at least thirty minutes before using.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas:

Combine feta cheese with chilled cooked lentils, minced red onion and diced green pepper for a delicious cold salad.

Enjoy a classic Italian salad—sliced onions, tomatoes and mozzarella cheese drizzled with olive oil.

Freshly grated cheese makes a nice addition to most any green salad.

For a quick, healthy "pizza," sprinkle mozzarella cheese on a whole wheat pita, top with tomato sauce and your favorite vegetables and cook in toaster oven until cheese melts.

Enjoy this refreshing salad - combine sliced fennel and orange pieces together and top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Cheese makes a delightful pairing with fruits such as apples, pears and melons. Serve as appetizer or dessert.

Individual Concerns

Allergic Reactions to Cow's Milk Products

Although allergic reactions can occur to virtually any food, research studies on food allergy consistently report more problems with some foods than with others. It's important to realize that the frequency of problems varies from country to country and can change significantly along with changes in the food supply or with other manufacturing practices. For example, in several part of the world, including Canada, Japan, and Israel, sesame seed allergy has risen to a level of major concern over the past 10 years.

In the United States, beginning in 2004 with the passage of the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA), food labels have been required to identify the presence of any major food allergens. Since 90% of food allergies in the U.S. have been associated with 8 food types as reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, it is these 8 food types that are considered to be major food allergens in the U.S. and require identification on food labels. The 8 food types classified as major allergens are as follows: (1) wheat, (2) cow's milk, (3) hen's eggs, (4) fish, (5) crustacean shellfish (including shrimp, prawns, lobster and crab); (6) tree nuts (including cashews, almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts and chestnuts); (7) peanuts; and ( soy foods.

These foods do not need to be eaten in their pure, isolated form in order to trigger an adverse reaction. For example, cheese made from cow's milk is also a common allergenic food.

Food allergy symptoms may sometimes be immediate and specific, and can include skin rash, hives, itching, and eczema; swelling of the lips, tongue, or throat; tingling in the mouth; wheezing or nasal congestion; trouble breathing; and dizziness or lightheadedness. But food allergy symptoms may also be much more general and delayed, and can include fatigue, depression, chronic headache, chronic bowel problems (such as diarrhea or constipation), and insomnia. Because most food allergy symptoms can be caused by a variety of other health problems, it is good practice to seek the help of a healthcare provider when evaluating the role of food allergies in your health.

Lactose Intolerance

Cow's milk contains a special sugar called lactose. An enzyme called lactase is needed to digest this special sugar. Many individuals throughout the world do not have large enough supplies of this enzyme to keep up with their intake of dairy products containing lactose. While a cup of cow's milk contains about 10-12 grams of lactose, the bacteria used to produce cheese and the time required for cheese to ferment, both work to lower lactose levels. Soft cheeses typically have only half as much lactose as the milk they are made from, and sometimes even less. Aged cheeses, including most hard cheeses, have less lactose still. For example, an ounce of Swiss cheese or cheddar cheese typically has less than one gram of lactose—a safe level of lactose intake for most individuals, even those who are lactose intolerant.

Nutritional Profile

Cheese is a very good source of protein and calcium. It is also a good source of phosphorus, iodine and selenium.

For an in-depth nutritional profile click here: Cheese.

In-Depth Nutritional Profile
In addition to the nutrients highlighted in our ratings chart, an in-depth nutritional profile for Cheese, low-fat is also available. This profile includes information on a full array of nutrients, including carbohydrates, sugar, soluble and insoluble fiber, sodium, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids and more.

Introduction to Food Rating System Chart
In order to better help you identify foods that feature a high concentration of nutrients for the calories they contain, we created a Food Rating System. This system allows us to highlight the foods that are especially rich in particular nutrients. The following chart shows the nutrients for which this food is either an excellent, very good, or good source (below the chart you will find a table that explains these qualifications). If a nutrient is not listed in the chart, it does not necessarily mean that the food doesn't contain it. It simply means that the nutrient is not provided in a sufficient amount or concentration to meet our rating criteria. (To view this food's in-depth nutritional profile that includes values for dozens of nutrients - not just the ones rated as excellent, very good, or good - please use the link below the chart.) To read this chart accurately, you'll need to glance up in the top left corner where you will find the name of the food and the serving size we used to calculate the food's nutrient composition. This serving size will tell you how much of the food you need to eat to obtain the amount of nutrients found in the chart. Now, returning to the chart itself, you can look next to the nutrient name in order to find the nutrient amount it offers, the percent Daily Value (DV%) that this amount represents, the nutrient density that we calculated for this food and nutrient, and the rating we established in our rating system. For most of our nutrient ratings, we adopted the government standards for food labeling that are found in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "Reference Values for Nutrition Labeling." Read more background information and details of our rating system.

Mozzarella cheese, part-skim, shredded
1.00 oz-wt
28.35 grams
72.08 calories
Nutrient Amount DV
(%) Nutrient
Density World's Healthiest
Foods Rating
tryptophan 0.08 g 25.0 6.2 very good
calcium 183.06 mg 18.3 4.6 very good
protein 6.88 g 13.8 3.4 very good
phosphorus 131.26 mg 13.1 3.3 good
iodine 10.09 mcg 6.7 1.7 good
selenium 4.08 mcg 5.8 1.5 good
World's Healthiest
Foods Rating Rule
excellent DV>=75% OR Density>=7.6 AND DV>=10%
very good DV>=50% OR Density>=3.4 AND DV>=5%
good DV>=25% OR Density>=1.5 AND DV>=2.5%

In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Cheese, low-fat

References

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