Studies by scientists have found growing evidence that cheese has a ‘matrix effect’ which protects people from the adverse effects of saturated fat.
Cheese is full of healthy protein and calcium but is also high in saturated fat and salt which generally drives cholesterol and increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
How cheeses are made can affect how people digest them
Kirsty O'Connor
According to the British Heart Foundation, a 30g portion of cheddar can contain more salt than a packet of crisps.
However, experts say there is growing evidence that cheese has a ‘matrix effect’.
Many cheeses are prepared using an enzyme named chymosin to coagulate milk while some fresh cheeses, such as cottage cheese, are made using acid.
Other cheese, like paneer, uses a combination of heat and acid and how the cheese is made can affect how people’s body digests it.
One Canadian study in 2017 carried out on 43 healthy volunteers found that fat from cream cheese was more rapidly digested and absorbed than cheddar.
Research reveals that consuming cheese gave rise to significantly lower cholesterol levels
Anthony Devlin
Researchers suggested that the tiny fat droplets in the cream cheese may be more accessible to the body’s fat-digesting enzymes.
A year later in 2018, another study by University College Dublin showed that consuming cheese gave rise to significantly lower cholesterol levels in comparison to butter, protein and calcium.
