Cheese might be good for you, according to scientists

(Telegraph.co.uk) - Eat a cheese toastie next to your friend on a juice cleanse with pride - everyone's favourite dairy product could be good for you, according to scientists.

Take this with a pinch of salt (though not too much, an excess of salt is bad for your health) as most cheese is still high in fat and isn't usually a low-calorie option.

However, scientists have found health benefits in chowing down on cheddar.

The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal made headlines in 2014 when it claimed eating cheese could lower the risk of Type 2 Diabetes.

Nutritional scientist Professor Arne Astup of the University of Copenhagen has also recently suggested that it could help fight cardiovascular disease.

The Daily Mail quotes Astrup as saying: “Cheese is full of saturated fat and salt, so you’d think it would be the worst thing you could eat in terms of raising the risk of cardiovascular disease. But when you look at what happens to people who eat a lot of cheese, you see the complete opposite: it seems to protect against cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.”

Now, there's an editorial in the latest edition of the British Medical Journal which suggests animal fats may not be as bad for you as those touting vegetable-based spreads might want you to think.

They re-analysed a major cholesterol study from the 1970s, which was part of the evidence that drove consumers to vegetable oil and margarine.

The scientists found it didn't really prove everything it claimed.

They said a fresh analysis of the original data challenges the “established wisdom” about switching from saturated (animal) fats to unsaturated vegetable fats, as this “might not prolong life” after all.

This could mean eating butter and cheese may not be as bad for your heart as is so frequently claimed.

Do all these scientific arguments stack up to show you should be able to eat macaroni cheese for every meal?

Not quite. Cheese might not be the devil - and it may actually be good for your health in moderation - but it certainly shouldn't be the main component of your diet, any more than it is healthy to only subsist on kale.

The BMJ's recommendation sounds like advice your gran might have given you as a child: “We should continue to eat … more fish, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. We should avoid salt, sugar, industrial trans fats, and avoid over eating.” (Source)