While feta cheese provides you with an excellent source of nutrients like calcium and protein, it also contains high amounts of sodium and saturated fat. Feta is lower in fat than many other cheeses, however, and is considered a reasonable option to eat in moderation.
The nutrient-rich feta cheese is made from a mix of goat and sheep milk. It is a rich source of calcium, and it improves bone health, promotes weight loss, and boosts gut health. Moderate consumption of this cheese is advised for people with high blood pressure as it is matured in salt brine.
Feta cheese contains good amounts of a fatty acid called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Animal studies suggest this fatty acid appears to improve body composition by reducing body fat and increasing lean mass. Cheese made from sheep's milk has higher levels of CLA.
Because realistically you should probably stick to an ounce or two a day-it's pretty high in fat, calories and salt.
Furthermore, feta cheese's high calorie and fat content can also lead to weight gain if you consume it in excess. Hence, you should always eat it in moderation. People who are lactose intolerant should also avoid consuming feta cheese as it is made using cow's milk.
Another protein found in feta cheese nutrition is called histidine. When histidine is combined with vitamin B6, it undergoes a molecular process to become histamine, a compound that provides anti-inflammatory benefits.
Feta cheese is a dairy product, so it causes digestive problems in lactose-intolerant people. Lactose intolerance is a medical condition in which your small intestine does not make enough of a digestive enzyme called lactase, PubMed Health advises.
Instead, you can swap to low-fat dairy in place of high-fat dairy. For example, choose low-fat cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, or feta in place of higher-fat cheddar cheese or cream cheese. Many dairy products contain vitamin D, a major nutrient that can aid in cleansing the liver.
Feta cheese is an excellent source of calcium and protein, but as typical dairy products, it contains very low amount of iron.
One of the major disadvantages of consuming feta cheese is that it is much higher in sodium than many other types of cheese. Therefore, it is not suitable for people who are trying to cut their sodium intake.
“If your diet, in general, is very low in saturated fats and sodium, having two to three ounces of cheese a day may be safe,” says Supan. “If you're trying to eat healthy or have any heart concerns, I would try to stick to one ounce of high-quality cheese a day, or maybe even less than that a few times a week.”
One of the easiest and more popular ways to incorporate Feta to a dish is to crumble it. Feta Crumbles are so versatile that you can use them to garnish pasta, watermelon, grapes, nuts, chickpeas, potatoes, salads, pizza, or eggs. It's the perfect tangy touch to elevate any dish.
Probiotics found in Swiss cheeses - such as Emmental and Gruyère – could help reduce inflammation and subsequently boost immunity. These probiotics, which are also found in other dairy products such as milk, can also improve signs of ageing, the study claims.
Leslie Bonci, MPH, RDN, CSSD, LDN, FAND, owner of Active Eating Advice by Leslie Bonci, recommends feta cheese with "only 25 milligrams of cholesterol per ounce and lower in saturated fat (3 grams) compared to most cheeses." Plus, Bonci says that feta's rich taste means a little goes a long way; you can use less of it ...
Dairy is off-limits for many IBS sufferers, although lactose-free dairy (found in cream cheese, half and half, hard cheeses like cheddar, parmesan, and Swiss, and soft cheeses like brie, feta, and mozzarella can be tolerated by many of us.
Fact 2: Feta is a great probiotic
Feta could do wonders for your gut health. Feta contains numerous probiotics such as Lactobacillus casei, L. paracasei, L. plantarum, L.
Swiss, provolone, Cheddar and Gouda are some examples. According to 2019 research in the Journal of Dairy Science, cheese may offer a stable environment for probiotics to live in, thanks to its high fat content, pH and high water activity.
Gouda is good for your knees, a new study shows.
Since keeping your weight down is one of the best ways to take some pressure off your lower extremities and prevent OA, it might seem strange to learn that a favorited high-fat food — cheese — might also help keep OA at bay.