Is Cheese Good For You? New Study Points To Heart Benefits

The average American consumes over 34 pounds of cheese a year, though some shy away from eating the dairy product due to its high-fat content which has been known to contribute to higher cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease.

But a new study shows that eating cheese on a daily basis might actually be good for you.

Researchers in China and New Zealand examined 15 studies from PubMed and EMBASE that involved cheese to better understand the relationship between cheese and heart disease. What they found is that those who ate cheese on a regular basis also tended to not develop heart disease.

The findings suggest "a nonlinear inverse association between cheese consumption and cardiovascular disease," or heart disease, the top cause of death around the world, according to the World Health Association. This means that while the researchers had no proof that the cheese consumption caused the lower levels of heart disease, those who ate cheese regularly were less likely to be the same people who had heart disease.

Such disease can be caused by fatty deposits that build up in the walls of the blood vessels that help deliver blood to the heart of brain, according to the WHO. This doesn’t mean you should start eating a block of cheese, or slices of pizza every day, because cheese does have high levels of saturated fat, that is linked to high cholesterol and poor lipid profiles. The American Heart Association recommends that only about five to six percent of your daily calorie intake comes from saturated fats.

But cheese also has its health benefits, like high levels of calcium and protein, and has probiotics that are good for the body, as well.

Not all cheese is created equal though, so the type of cheese determines the nutritional value of the nutrients and vitamins it has. The key, as with most foods, is to consume it in moderation.

So even though the news that cheese consumption might actually be positive or beneficial is exciting, it’s not a reason to stock the fridge full of your favorite bries and mozzarella.