by Dr Deborah Lee, Dr Fox Online Pharmacy
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Cottage cheese is often overlooked and doesn’t get the attention it deserves. In fact, it is a delicious, nutritious, versatile food, and it’s relatively inexpensive – making it all the more attractive in the cost-of-living crisis.
What is cottage cheese?
Cottage cheese is made by curdling pasteurised cow’s milk. When milk becomes acidic, the milk protein separates forming clumps.
Here are eight good reasons to eat cottage cheese that might surprise you.
Very low fat
Cottage cheese is very low-fat cheese. The fat content of cottage cheese depends on the fat content of the milk used to make it. Low-fat cottage cheese is made from reduced-fat milk (1 %). It’s one of the lowest-fat cheeses available and contains 1 g of fat per 100 g.
Even regular – full fat – cottage cheese is only 4 g fat per 100 g. This compares to cheddar for example which is 22 g of fat per 100 g.
We all need to reduce the amount of animal fat (saturated fat) in our diet. This is recommended to lower blood cholesterol. High cholesterol is linked to atherosclerosis – the laying down of fatty plaques in the arteries. Atherosclerosis is the underlying cause of cardiovascular disease – high blood pressure, heart attacks, heart failure and strokes. The Western diet is typically high in saturated fat, which is associated with raised cholesterol and an increased risk of heart disease.
Just replacing one red meal a week with a non-meat alternative, has been shown to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes by 30%. If you eat cottage cheese just once a week for your main meal this is likely to have significant health advantages.
High protein
Cottage cheese is high in protein. It contains 11g of protein per 100 g, which is about the same amount of protein found in eggs. We should all eat more protein and eat protein at every meal.
Protein contains amino acids which are the building blocks of all the cells and organs of the body. The body cannot make amino acids. There are 20 essential amino acids it must take in every day in the diet which can then be linked together to form new protein in the body.
Protein in the diet helps us feel full and curbs our appetite. Also, when losing weight, you not only lose fat, but you also lose lean body mass (LBM – muscle). Eating more protein helps reduce the loss of LBM. If you are trying to lose weight, eating enough protein is vital for all these reasons.
High calcium
Cheese and milk contain the highest amounts of calcium of all foods. Cottage cheese contains 127 g of calcium per 100g which is around 51 g of calcium per tablespoonful. This is lower than hard cheeses such as cheddar and Edam, but it is a healthier food choice because it is so much lower in saturated fat and has a 5-fold increase in potassium levels. Potassium is vital for your heart and kidney function and for the control of blood pressure.
Calcium is mandatory for bone health. Osteoporosis is a serious, life-threatening disease which causes severe disability, loss of independence and death. Looking after your bones throughout your lifetime has to be a priority. UK adults should consume around 1000 mg of calcium per day – more after menopause and in the elderly. In the UK, around 9% of those aged 16-49 have a diet deficient in calcium. Dairy products such as cottage cheese are a rich source of calcium, easy to eat, and relatively inexpensive. Cottage cheese also contains phosphorus which is needed to make bone.
A huge 2020 systematic review of metanalyses concluded that increased dairy consumption when following a calorie-controlled diet resulted in greater weight loss. These results were not seen in those who took calcium supplements. The authors commented that calcium in the diet slows the absorption of fat after digestion. It can also facilitate fat oxidation (breakdown) and helps control the appetite.
Interestingly, other research has shown that eating more calcium in the diet reduces the risk of bladder, breast, bowel and stomach cancers.
Low-moderate sugar content
Most cottage cheese contains around 2.7 g per 100 g of sugar. The sugar in cottage cheese is a natural sugar due to the lactose in the cow’s milk. It does not contain added sugars. Adults should not eat more than 30 g of sugar per day. High-sugar (high-carb) diets and carb addiction are very common and fueling the UK obesity crisis. We should all eat more low-sugar foods as part of a healthy diet.
Cottage cheese is a good food source if you want to avoid blood sugar spikes and energy crashes.
Low calorie
There are only 84 calories per 100g of cottage cheese. This means it is an excellent option for a calorie-restricted diet. It is delicious, versatile, filling and nutritious. Eating cottage cheese as part of your staple diet will help weight loss.
Good source of B12
Cottage cheese is also a great source of vitamin B12. In the UK, around 6% of people aged under 60 have B12 deficiency, and the prevalence rises in older people. Vegans – who don’t eat meat or dairy products – are at high risk of B12 deficiency. B12 deficiency has serious consequences. It affects the brain and the central nervous system leading to muscle weakness, psychological problems, confusion and dementia.
Eating cottage cheese as part of your regular diet will help prevent B12 deficiency.
Probiotics
The fermentation process used to make cottage cheese means it contains healthy bacteria good for the gut microbiome. The healthy bacteria we get from eating fermented foods are called probiotics. Cottage cheese contains probiotics such as Lactobacillus casei, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus, bacteria which when present in the gut have a powerful effect on the immune system, lower inflammation and support bone metabolism. A healthy diet should contain probiotics.
High in selenium
One cup of cottage cheese contains 20 mcg of selenium and is one of the best food sources of selenium. Low dietary intake of selenium is increasingly common in the UK probably due to the poorer quality of the soil. Low selenium intake is associated with poor-quality sleep. Eating food like cottage cheese can help reverse this trend.
Final thoughts
What’s not to like about cottage cheese? I’m a great advocate. Slap some on a baked potato or some sourdough toast. Use it with smoked mackerel to make smoked mackerel pate, instead of sour cream (and you also get your weekly intake of oily fish). Why not use it to make salad dressings? You can jazz it up by adding pineapple, avocado and a handful of sunflower seeds or pine nuts. Even babies aged 6 months and above and young children can eat cottage cheese, so it’s something the whole family can enjoy.
- Why not pick up some cottage cheese this week in the supermarket? You will be in for a lovely surprise!