Is cheese healthy?

Who doesn�t like cheese?  Cheese pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, cheese and crackers.  Many studies have been done on cheese and its health benefits.  So what is the latest � is cheese healthy or bad for our hearts and bodies?

The recent issue of the Wellness Letter from the University of California reported on the latest cheese research (Say Cheese?, September 2015). 

They noted the French consume a lot of cheese as I can verify having visited France last year.  Cheese and bread at breakfast, cheese and bread at lunch.  The French love their cheese.  Yet, the French have relatively low heart disease rates.  Why?

•  Heart Health � many people say cheese is not good for your heart because cheese has some bad fat in it, saturated fat.  A study in 2013 found no link between eating a lot of cheese and heart disease.  Another 2012 study found followed Swedish women for 12 years.  Surprisingly, the women who ate the most cheese had the lowest rate of heart attacks.  Other studies found that butter does raise your bad cholesterol, LDL but cheese does not.
• Diabetes � rather than raise your blood glucose, cheese seems to help stabilize it.  A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that cheese and yogurt improved insulin sensitivity and control of blood glucose levels.  A Swedish study found that woman consuming cheese had a lower risk of diabetes.  They aren�t sure why but cheese does have fat and this slows stomach emptying which means less of a rise in blood sugar levels.
• Anticancer � The more dairy the less your risk of colon cancer probably because of the calcium in dairy and thus in cheese.  But other studies have been mixed as to whether cheese consumption reduces cancer risk.
• Weight � many studies have been done on dairy and weight.  A recent study suggests that cheese consumption is associated with less weight gain and may help a person control their weight.  A study in the Journal of Nutrition involving obese and overweight women found that those who consumer a high protein and a high dairy diet, exercised, restricted calories not only lost weight but loss more fat and gained muscle.
• Cavities � what does cheese have to do with cavities?  First, cheese doesn�t promote cavities and some research shows it may help prevent cavities.  Cheese helps build up the minerals in your teeth, the calcium, phosphorus and even protein promote mineralization.
• Nutrients � cheese is loaded with good nutrients: calcium, protein, vitamin A, B12, B2, zinc and other nutrients.  But most cheese has no or little vitamin D so milk or yogurt are needed to meet vitamin D needs. 

So enjoy some cheese this week.  If you want to cut back on the calories from cheese, choose part-skim mozzarella, mozzarella sticks, feta cheese, part-skim ricotta cheese, 2% cheddar, 2% Swiss which are made with 2% milk.  

Sources:  The Best Low-Fat Cheeses, Say Cheese?  Image source:  Cheese sticks

Anti-Inflammatory foods

Are there foods that can help control inflammation?  In our bodies we can have low-grade inflammation that can simmer along for years before raising its ugly head as cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis or even heart disease.  There are foods that can help fight this low grade inflammation as described in Tame the Flame of Inflammation.   

      1. Broccoli � not just broccoli but other vegetables in the cruciferous family � kale, Brussel sprouts, help lower inflammation.  The antioxidants in these foods seem to provide the benefits.  If you don�t like broccoli plain, add a cheese sauce, or put some in soups, on salads, in stir-fry dishes.  

      2.  Wheat berries and whole wheat � many people are shunning wheat and thus the benefits whole wheat can provide.  Wheat berries and whole wheat provide a polyphenol antioxidant that can lower inflammation.  Add some wheat berries to your cereal or salad.   

      3.  EVVO � not sure what EVVO is?  Extra Virgin Olive Oil which contains oleocanthal which has similar anti- inflammatory properties to ibuprofen but a much more natural way to get the anti-inflammatory benefit.  And add olives to your diet.     

      4.  Salmon� already known as a heart-healthy food and a brain food, salmon also offers eicosapentaenoic acid, which is an omega-3 fat with healthy benefits one being it is anti-inflammatory.   

      5.  Nuts � a handful of nuts a day is a healthy habit.  Brazil nuts provide offer a heart healthy fat, a good source of many vitamins and minerals and lowers inflammation.  Walnuts and flaxseed provide omega-3 fats which are also anti-inflammatory.   

      6. Yogurt � provides calcium, vitamin D and probiotics � all good for your health.  The bacteria in yogurt seems to help inhibit inflammation.  

      7.  Grapefruit � not the grapefruit diet but having some grapefruit in your diet offers flavonoid antioxidants which are anti-inflammatory.   

      8.  Spices: Turmeric, paprika� herbs and spices contribute essentially no calories but offer numerous health benefits.  It is the curcumin in turmeric, that offers anti-inflammatory benefits.  Paprika has capsaicin, a natural anti-inflammatory.  You can also get capsaicin from red peppers, cayenne pepper, garlic and ginger.    

      9.  Lentils � green black or brown lentils.  Or add peas and beans to your diet.  Try adding four servings a week to your diet to lower inflammation.   

     10. Mushrooms � add to salads, pizza. White button mushrooms, especially eaten raw, helped lower inflammation.

One may not be able to add all these foods to their diet, but try to add some each week.  
 

Sources:  Tame the Flame of Inflammation, 11 Food Dos and Don'ts to Tame Inflammation   Image source:  yogurt

Whole Grains and a Longer Life

So many people �avoid carbs� and avoid grains.  The latest diet craze is to go low carb.  Is that the healthiest choice for a longer life?  Are some carbs healthy?  Absolutely.   If you are watching carbs, you should watch to see you add whole grain carbs to your diet.  Whole grains aren�t carbs to avoid but to add to your diet.  A recent Harvard study on Whole Grains found that people who ate whole grains lowered their risk of heart disease.

 How much whole grains did they eat to lower their risk of heart disease?  The more they ate they lower the risk

• 5% lower risk of heart disease for those eating 1 ounce a day (1 slice of whole wheat bread)

• 8% lower risk for those who replaced one serving of refined grains with one serving of whole grains every day 
• 20% lower if a serving of red meat was replaced by whole grains

Whole grains contain all parts of the grain including the bran.  The bran is rich in B vitamins, antioxidants and fiber.  It is the bran that seems to be the most beneficial in reducing heart disease risk.

What are whole grains?  If you go to ChooseMyPlate.gov, they have a list of foods that are whole grains.  MyPlate recommends at least half the grains you eat each day should be whole grains.  Whole grains include:

• Whole wheat flour, whole wheat bread, whole rye flour - but whole rye bread is hard to find.  I found some at World Market
• Cereals that are whole grain like oatmeal, Cheerios
• Whole cornmeal (Most cornmeal is not whole, need to read the ingredients)
• Brown rice, wild rice
• Quinoa
• Buckwheat � like buckwheat pancakes
• Whole wheat pasta � if you don�t like the taste, try 25% whole wheat pasta and 75% regular pasta
• Barley
• Whole grain crackers
• Whole grain chips, Sun Chips, Food Should Taste Good  Multigrain chips,
• Whole grain corn � popcorn is whole grain

Note:  �multi-grain�, �stone ground�, �cracked wheat�, �bran� � are usually not whole grain products.  Read the label as some foods like the Food Should Taste Good Multigrain chips are whole grain but many �multi-grain� breads are not whole grain. 

Add some whole grains to your diet for a longer life. 

Sources:  Whole Grains, More whole grains linked with lower mortality,
Eat Whole Grains for a Longer Life, Image source: Look for Whole Grain