What’s The Link Between Cheese And Cholesterol?

Cheese has got a bit of a bad rap in the world of healthy eating, perhaps because it’s high in saturated fat which can lead to lifestyle diseases. However, a recent study has suggested that people concerned with cholesterol don’t need to cut cheese out of their diet.

Cheese And Cholesterol: The Link

According to scientists from the University College Dublin there is no link between eating cheese and having high levels of bad cholesterol.

As a part of the study, the researchers analysed the effect of eating dairy products from milk to cheese to yogurt on the health of a sample size of 15,000 Irish people. Rather than suggesting that a higher intake of cheese increased bad cholesterol levels, it suggested that a higher dairy intake had several positive effects. These included a lower body mass index and lower blood pressure.

The researchers suggested that a more holistic approach to the effect of particular foods on an individual’s health needs to be considered. Dr Emma Feeney the lead author of the study said “We have to consider not just the nutrients themselves but also the matrix in which we are eating them in and what the overall dietary pattern is, so not just about the food then, but the pattern of other foods we eat with them as well.”