According to the Australian Dietary Guidelines, adults are recommended to eat about 2.5 servings of dairy per day this includes cheese, milk, and yogurt. Furthermore, Australians eat about 13.6kg of cheese per person per year based on the available sales data. But what if it’s bad for you?
Fat
Despite suggestions of consuming low-fat cheese, the dietary survey shows that about 99% of cheese products consumed are full-fat and only 29% accounts for reduced-fat cheese products. Consequently, cheese products containing full-fat have high levels of saturated fats which everyone knows raises the risk of suffering heart diseases.
Salt
Another component to consider about cheese products is the sodium level. A portion of cheese can have a range of 74mg to 1,160mg of sodium. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the recommended daily intake of sodium that is good for heart health for adults is less than 5000mg. Hence, if you eat a lot of cheese, there’s a possibility that you’ll consume more than the recommended amount of salt.
Processed cheese
Heated and melted cheese products obtained from milk added with (or without) emulsifying salts forming a homogenous mass yields to ‘processed cheese’. These dairy products consist of as much as twice the regular amount of sodium of unprocessed cheese. Unfortunately, this type of cheese is what is usually found in households as it is cheaper, more convenient to use, and usually last longer.
Even though cheese has accompanying downsides, various studies show that moderate cheese consumption regardless of whether it is full or reduced-fat, is associated with reduced heart disease risk. Therefore, it means that the nutritional benefits of cheese outweighs its cons.
Additionally, it is much recommended that cheese consumption should be limited to two (2) to three (3) servings per week.
