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Educate your patients on the importance of 3-A-Day of Dairy: Here's
a great
tool (PDF: 618k) to show families how to get their 3-A-Day of Dairy
every day for stronger bones.
Developed in conjunction with The American Academy of Family
Physicians, The American Academy of Pediatrics, The American Dietetic
Association, and The National Medical Association.
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Dairy Council Digest Archives
Health Benefits of Cheese
Summary
Americans are consuming more cheese than ever before. Between1990 and 2000, per capita consumption of cheese increased by more than 21%. The demand for cheese is attributed to its great taste, versatility, convenience, and nutrient content. To meet consumers' ever-changing demands, American cheese makers have introduced numerous new varieties of cheese in various flavors and forms.
Cheese contains a high concentration of essential nutrients, in particular high quality protein and calcium, as well as other nutrients such as phosphorus, zinc, vitamin A, riboflavin, and vitamin B12. In 1999, cheese provided 25% of the calcium available in the U.S. food supply, a six-fold increase from 4% in 1909. The composition of milk used and the manufacturing process (e.g., manner of coagulation, length of aging) influence the nutrient content of specific cheeses. For individuals monitoring or reducing fat in their diet, many reduced fat varieties of cheeses are available. Also, individuals can include cheese in a fat reduced diet by making dietary trade-offs, for example, by balancing higher fat foods with lower fat foods.
In addition to its nutritional contribution to the diet, cheese has several health attributes. Certain cheeses such as Cheddar, Swiss, blue, Monterey Jack, and process American cheese, among others, have been demonstrated to reduce the risk of dental caries. Although the anticariogenic effects of cheese are not completely understood, several potential mechanisms are proposed. Consuming cheese may stimulate the flow of saliva, which has caries reducing properties (e.g., increases buffering capacity and promotes food clearance). Milk proteins in cheese have been demonstrated to neutralize plaque acids through their buffering capacity. Cheese appears to prevent acid demineralization and enhance remineralization of tooth enamel. To help reduce tooth decay, health professionals recommend eating cheese immediately after meals, or as a between-meal snack.
Many cheeses, particularly aged cheeses such as Cheddar and Swiss, contain little or no lactose. For this reason, cheese is an important source of calcium and many other nutrients found in milk for lactose maldigesters or persons who have difficulty digesting lactose or milk's sugar.
Because cheese is a calcium-rich food, its inclusion in the diet may help reduce the risk for osteoporosis. In addition, cheese, in moderation, is included in the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet designed to reduce the risk of hypertension. This diet, which includes 3 servings/day of dairy foods (e.g., lowfat and fat free milk and yogurt, regular and lowfat cheeses) and 8 to10 servings/day of fruits and vegetables, has also been shown to reduce other risk factors for heart disease, specifically blood levels of total and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and homocysteine.
Cheese's high nutritional value and its beneficial roles in health make this food an important dairy food to include in a healthful diet.
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