According to the International Dairy Federation, the average Frenchman ate the most cheese per capita of any other country. Considering the impressive health benefits of regularly consuming raw cheese, this may be a contributing factor to there being more than 20,000 centenarians still around in the country. Read on to learn more about the health benefits of raw cheese.
“Dessert without cheese is like a beautiful woman with only one eye.”
-Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
Source of Probiotics
Many health benefits of raw cheese are linked to its natural probiotic content. It contains beneficial bacteria that promote efficient digestion and immune health.
Source of Butyrate
In a recent study, researchers found that participants who ate cheese had higher levels of butyrate in their fecal matter, a product of gut bacteria that is found to:
- Promote an anti-inflammatory environment in the gut
- Benefit the brain and nerve cells
- Contain anti-cancerous properties
- Balance blood sugar
- Protect the liver, pancreas, and heart
- Increase red blood cells
Acts as an Antibiotic, Boosts Testosterone, and Protects Your Heart
In this study, blue cheese was shown to protect against cardiovascular disease, which is probably due to its very high Vitamin K2 content. Blue Cheese also boosts testosterone thanks to its high probiotic content and fatty-acid ratio.
Blue cheese also contains Penicilium Roqueforti, or a form of Penicillin, and is an edible mold which functions as an antibiotic and fights bacterial infections.
Packed With Easily Digestible Nutrients Hard To Get From Other Sources
There are microorganisms in the fresh whole milk itself that’s involved in turning it into cheese. These microbes consume and break down the complex sugars, especially lactose, and the proteins in milk, giving a particular type of cheese its specific flavor and texture.
This reduction is basically what intestinal flora does to the food you eat, meaning raw cheese is pre-digested, and its nutrients are already in an easily absorbable form.
Many that are lactose intolerant can digest raw milk cheese since the lactose is broken down during the curdling and aging process. Raw cheese is also filled with enzymes that help to digest fats and proteins.
Cheese contains a synergistic blend of very important nutrients-Vitamin K2, D3, and Calcium. When consumed together, they protect your bones, brain and heart by channeling calcium into your bones and teeth while keeping it out of your arteries.
Cheese from 100% grass-fed cows has a perfect omega 6:3 ratio of 2:1. It also contains 5x the amount of Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), which is an extraordinarily powerful cancer fighting nutrient. CLA is known to boost metabolism and fat burning while enhancing natural immunity.
Cheese Protects Your Teeth
Researchers found that cheese makes the mouth more alkaline, which in turn reduced the need for dental treatment. It neutralizes plaque acid.
They also discovered that cheese creates a protective film around teeth.
Blue Zones Eat Cheese
“Blue Zones” is an anthropological concept that describes the characteristic lifestyles and the environments of the world’s longest-lived people.
In two of the world’s Blue Zones, (Ikaria, Greece and Sardinia, Italy), sheep’s and goat’s milk cheeses are staples in their diets, and these types of cheeses are particularly high in Omega 3 fats, crucial for overall brain and body health. They also fall into the A2 casein category, meaning they have a similar protein structure to human breast milk and have an alkalizing affect on the body.
In Conclusion
Enjoy raw cheese at least once a day after lunch and/or dinner. Your body will thank you.
Bon Appetit!