We Always Knew Cheese Was Good

By Amanda

Following on Martina’s recent find of brie blue cheese, I was recently pouring over my latest copy of Psychology Today, and found in it of all places, a nice piece advocating the good benefits of cheese to our bodies and brains.  Here’s a small excerpt I wanted to share:

The object of our desire

“…researchers single out fermentation as cheese’s protective factor. The microbes present in cheese act in the gut to promote whole-body – and mind – health in ways that are only now being recognized. The bacterial organisms used in cheese making don’t just provide a preservation method for milk, they favorably influence the makeup of fatty acids in the digestive process. They may dismantle cholesterol.”

Read more cool articles in the May 2012 issue of Psychology Today.

Here are some more Cheesy Facts from the article:

• The natural presence of the sugar lactose allows milk to be fermented.
• Some species of lactobacillus, a microbe commonly used to start the acidification process that turns milk into cheese, have been shown to alter the brain expression of neurotransmitters.
• Cheese made from goat’s milk is lower in fat and feels lighter than that from other animals.
• Sheep’s milk, higher in fat than both goat and cow milk, feels richer and “rounder” in the mouth.
• Cow’s milk is made into the greatest range of cheeses.
• Cheese needs about an hour at room temperature to develop its fullest flavor.
• The higher the moisture content of a cheese, the softer it is and the shorter its life.