There’s been mutters lately that cheese is no longer ‘that bad’ for your health. Mutters from whom you ask? Well, the very professionals who claimed it wasn’t good for you in the first place; researchers, health specialists and dieticians.
There’s no doubt that we as humans need dairy products in our diet, they’re an important part of growing and a brilliant source of energy and protein, containing a large number of vitamins and minerals like calcium, which younger people need to help maintain healthy bones and teeth. But before, Cheese was totally avoided by some people.
Some gym-goers and weight watchers want no business in something so fatty and calorific. Cheese is high in energy density, meaning it has a lot of calories per gram. You’re more likely to put on weight if you’re not burning enough calories as you’re taking in, therefore some people may steer clear from cheese and go for something a little lighter.
An ounce of goats cheese, which is about the size of your thumb, contains 128 calories – (which made me cringe) – I’m a big cheese fan my self and I definitely love a fruity cheese board with some chutney at Christmas, but I also try to watch my weight, and with such a high density of fat in such a small portion, I can see why some people wouldn’t want it in their diets.
But we shouldn’t avoid it
Research shows us that it could actually be good for our health after all. In fact, people who eat a small amount of cheese every day were less likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke, compared to those who rarely or never ate cheese. Like other dairy products, it does contain high amounts of saturated fat linking to high cholesterol and larger risks of heart disease.
Researchers and scientists from China and the Netherlands combined data from observational studies including more than 200,000 people. All but one of the studies excluded people with heart disease and all but two tracked people from 10 years or more. The researcher’s findings were said to be a shock and not what they were expecting at all. Turns out that people who ate small amounts of cheese each day had a 14% lower risk of developing coronary heart disease and were 10% less likely to have a stroke than those who rarely or never ate cheese!
Don’t overdo it
You may be excited about this new discovery, but let’s not start having cheese on toast for breakfast, cheese sandwiches for lunch and macaroni and cheese for dinner…
The research also vividly highlighted the health problems with the people who ate too much of the stuff and that didn’t look great either. Cheese has high levels of sodium, and too much salt is never good for the human body. It again, can increase your blood pressure and make you susceptible to heart attack or a stroke.
So, the best option really is to limit your intake, the daily recommended amount each day is about as big as a matchbox, the people who ate this amount each day were overall healthier than the people who didn’t.
Here are some amazing, independent businesses you can purchase some really tasty cheese from:
The Cheese Shop
6 Flying Horse Walk, Nottingham NG1 2HN
We are a family run delicatessen, situated in the heart of Nottingham city centre. The shop was founded nearly two decades ago and specialises in selling cheese. We have developed our range throughout the years and now stock over 200 British kinds of cheese from a wide variety of milk including Cows, Sheep, Goats and Buffalo. Being situated in Nottinghamshire gives us a fantastic opportunity to stock some of the finest blue stilton (the king of cheese) which is sourced locally from Colston Bassett Dairy, and Cropwell Bishop Creameries.
For more, please visit their Snizl Page and website here:
Spring Lane Farm Shop
382 Spring Ln, Nottingham NG3 5RQ
We have a wide variety of British and European cheeses, as well as all three of the well, know Stilton from Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. All our cheeses can be cut to any size if requested whilst at the farm shop. All our pork pies are homemade daily here in our bakery as well as our home cured and roasted meats; all sold at the deli counter. For specific requests, questions or enquiries about placing large or small orders please speak to our manager at the Deli counter.
To view their wonderful website, please click here:
Yorkshire Fine Cheese
The Dairy, Barncliffe Mill, West Yorkshire, HD8 8LU.
A desire to produce a soft cheese unique to its surroundings and using the finest locally sourced milk led Danny and Carole Lockwood to form their own small cheese company. As in times past, we collect the milk daily in churn and take it the short journey into the tranquil valley below the farm to our dairy facility at Barncliffe Mill. We gently hand stir the ingredients into the milk and when the time is right the curd is cut. It is then poured into individual moulds to form our hand-made cheese.
For more, please click here:
Davidson R P Cheese Factors
31 Market Hall, Chesterfield S40 1AR
If you have the opportunity, why not visit our wonderful market town of Chesterfield, the extensive open market and the refurbished Market Hall. Of course, no such visit can be complete without walking into our shop, taking in the aromas, viewing the marvellous extensive selection of cheeses, and perhaps even purchasing some to enjoy with your family and friends.
For their website and beautiful selection of cheeses, please click here:
Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Co
Sparkenhoe Farm/Main Rd, Nuneaton CV13 6JX
Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Company is located in Upton, a small hamlet in the South West Leicestershire countryside on a working dairy farm called Sparkenhoe Farm. David and Jo Clarke are dairy farmers whose families have farmed in the area for generations. David manages the 150 head of pedigree Holstein Friesian cows and the 160 followers. The cows are fed on the farm’s lush pastures and calving takes place all year round to keep the milk supply as consistent as possible.
For an amazing homemade cheese selection, please visit this website:
Deli Flavour Delicatessen
Silver Arcade, Leicester’s city centre
We stock approximately 50 kinds of cheese at our Stoneygate deli and we can obtain much more through our links with cheese specialists and affineurs both in the UK and on the continent. From the fantastic Leicestershire Quenby Stilton and Sparkenhoe Red Leicester to the Ribblesdale Goats Cheese, Stinking Bishop (at Christmas or to Order) and the wonderful 18 Month Aged Gouda. Remember we also create the famous deli flavour cheese wedding cake.We stock an eclectic mix of cured meats from Spain, Italy and Germany. All are freshly cut in the delicatessen and are used in our fantastic takeaway deli sandwiches and paninis.
For more, please visit their website:
Cheese To Please
Unit 4, The Antique Map & Print Gallery, Worcester WR1
Cheese to Please really do exactly what you would expect from a business with a name like Cheese to Please. They have a fantastic selection of cheeses. If you are a cheese lover then a trip to this local Worcester business will be a delight. You will probably find cheeses that you have never tried before as the range is so varied. Cheese to please also have all of the standard classic cheeses that you would expect to find in a quality cheese shop.
For their website, please visit this link:
Extons Foods Ltd.
5 and 6 Caldey Road, Roundthorne Industrial Estate,, Manchester M23 9GE
Extons has been the UK’s leading independent sliced cheese supplier for some time, but we now enjoy an equally impressive and fast-growing reputation for offering grated, block and continental cheeses too…
For more products, visit the website:
The Cheese Hamlet
706 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, Didsbury M202DW
We are a family run independent cheese specialist established in 1960 and based in Didsbury, South Manchester. We are members of The Specialist Cheesemakers Association and members of the management committee of The Guild of Fine Food Retailers.
For more, please visit their website:
The Silver Hill Larder
105 Ecclesall Rd S, Sheffield S11 9PH
Welcome to Silver Hill Larder, a specialist cheese shop offering approximately 70 different cheeses, a range of freshly ground coffees and specialist teas. We also sell milk and yoghurt, pâtés, locally made pork pies, jams and preserves, crackers and olives. We stock about 70 different varieties of cheese, from Brinkburn goat to Yorkshire Blue. Cheeses from Derbyshire to Greece. Soft cheeses, hard cheeses, blue cheeses, goat’s milk cheeses, ewe’s milk cheeses, everyday cheeses and unusual cheeses.
For more information and more products, please visit the website:
Urban Pantry Ltd
227 Crookes, Sheffield S10 1TE
We are an independent family-run deli with a passion for good food, cheese and a strong focus on bringing you the highest quality products from independent producers in the region. Our aim is to provide not only fantastic products but also a great shopping experience where you can find out more about what you’re eating, try things at our special tasting events and even meet the producers.
Please visit the website here for more information:
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