Cheeses

Cheese has a long history in human nutrition, going back to 10,000 BCE. Nowadays, cheese production is broadly spread throughout the world, although cheese consumption widely differs between countries.

A nutrient-dense food, cheese traditionally forms part of a balanced diet and is a relatively safe, ready-to-eat food, providing high-quality proteins, bioactive peptides, fat and fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. Because of notable amounts of fat, saturated and trans fatty acids, and salt, however, cheese has been discussed as a possible health risk. But there is no clear evidence that relates the consumption of cheese to a specific disease. In contrast, its high concentration of calcium contributes to the formation and maintenance of bones and teeth. Moreover, there is evidence for a blood pressure-lowering effect ...