Cheese contains saturated and unsaturated fat, protein, and other nutrients depending upon the cheese you eat. However there is a big difference between processed cheese and natural cheese. Cheese slices, Kraft, Velveeta etc. are all processed cheese. It does not matter if it is low fat or not. Rather, research has shown that all processed cheese have no active bacteria and other natural enzymes that help us burn fat and stay healthy. Processed cheese is actually really bad for you, as it rapidly converts into fat – even the low fat kind!
On the other hand, the fat in natural cheese like gouda, brie, unprocessed swiss is actually good for you. They contain enzymes, and probiotic bacteria (good bacteria) that helps digestion and break down fat.
There is also a big difference between cheese made from raw milk and pasteurized milk. Studies have shown that consuming good cheese does not increase fat or cholesterol in the body. Infact recent US research and Danish research has shown that eating full fat natural cheese may reduce your risk of heart attack. So, it is crucial to carefully select the cheese that is good for you because there is a huge difference even within say Brie. It is no wonder that you see the French tuck away mounds of cheese but retail completely slim waists – the most important marker for good health.
Even more importantly, should you eat good cheese with whole wheat bread or Whole grain crackers? The answer is “No” to both these choices. Its not only important to know what cheese to eat, its even more important to know what to eat it with. We have to understand which combinations of food are really bad for you and which combinations have a “magical” fat burning effect. The details matter immensely and it is important for all of us to not only learn the specifics but also to refer to them constantly while making our daily decisions like shopping, preparing meals and eating them. This is because there are so many food options out there, and so many situations where you are not at home controlling everything. How to manage this when you are in the office? When you are traveling?