Cheese consumption has increased greatly over the last 20-30 years, and for very good reasons - it tastes great, and the variety of cheeses available has expanded beyond all recognition. We can now have cheese made from cow's milk, goat's milk, ewe's milk, cheeses from almost any country in the world, and a range of additions such as cranberries, garlic, whisky, apricots and wine that offer a taste extravaganza. But is it good for us?
The good bits
Protein - Cheese is an excellent source of 'first-class' protein. First-class proteins contain a wide range of amino acids and are essential to build healthy tissues. 70g of a cheese such as Emmenthal contains as much protein as 100g meat, 100g of fish, or two eggs. Cheese protein is an important source of protein for those vegetarians who eat cheese, and especially for the stricter vegetarian who can now access a wide range of truly vegetarian cheeses made using non-animal rennet.
Vitamins - Cheese is a good source of certain vitamins including A, B2, B12 and D.
Minerals - Cheese is an excellent source of calcium. Around 10lbs of milk is used to make 1lb of cheese, and the majority of the calcium from that milk is retained in the cheese. Calcium is necessary to maintain healthy bones and is particularly important for women after the menopause, who are at increased risk of osteoporosis (thinning of the bones). Cheese also contains zinc and phosphorus.
Lactose - Cheeses, especially aged cheese, contain little, if any, lactose. It is therefore a good source of milk nutrients for those who suffer from lactose intolerance and who therefore are unable to drink milk.
The bad bits
Listeria - This is a bacterium sometimes found in certain cheeses, and can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth and severe illness in newborns. Pregnant women should avoid mould-ripened soft cheeses such as Brie and Camembert, and blue-veined varieties such as Stilton. Hard cheeses are OK, and so are soft cheeses made from pasteurised milk, such as cottage cheese, Mozzarella and cheese spreads.
Migraine - Cheese contains high levels of an amino acid called tryptophan. This means that cheese can be a trigger for migraine in some sufferers, and can cause sleep disturbance and nightmares in others.
Calories - Some cheeses are very high in calories, particularly hard cheeses made from full-fat milk. The calorie load is not so great in cheeses made from skimmed or semi-skimmed milk. Sadly, these varieties don't tend to satisfy in the way that the more calorific types do!
The controversial bits
Fat content - The critics of cheese say that it has a high saturated-fat content, and that there are alternative protein sources such as fish or chicken that are much healthier. In the USA, cheese is the biggest source of saturated fat in the diet, with the average American eating 30lbs of cheese a year. Adding cheese to a ¼lb burger adds an extra 5g saturated fat (quarter of the maximum recommended daily intake) to the meal.
However, as the range of cheeses made from skimmed or semi-skimmed milk increases, there is more choice about the amount of saturated fat we consume as cheese. Also, cheese manufacturers point out that the labelling of fat content in cheese can be misleading. It is compulsory for fat content to be indicated as percentage of dry weight after complete drying of the curd during manufacture. So the higher the moisture content of the finished cheese, the lower the fat content in relation to the official rating, eg, curd cheese is 45% fat by dried weight, but is 80% moisture, so the cheese as eaten is 9% fat.
The calorie content of different cheeses
Cheese Calorie content in 50g wedge Boursin 50g 202 cal Brie 50g 152 cal Camembert 50g 155 cal Cheddar 50g 213 cal Edam 50g 157 cal Emmenthal 50g 185 cal Feta (Greek ewe's) 50g 152 cal Mozzarella 50g 139 cal Stilton, blue 50g 209 cal Wensleydale 50g 203 cal
