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Educate your patients on the importance of 3-A-Day of Dairy: Here's
a great
tool (PDF: 618k) to show families how to get their 3-A-Day of Dairy
every day for stronger bones.
Developed in conjunction with The American Academy of Family
Physicians, The American Academy of Pediatrics, The American Dietetic
Association, and The National Medical Association.
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Dairy Council Digest Archives
Health Benefits of Cheese
Cheese's Role in Health
Dental Health. Cheese not only is noncariogenic (i.e., does not promote dental caries), but may also protect against dental caries (11,31). Dental caries results from the breakdown of tooth enamel (i.e., demineralization) by acids produced during the fermentation of sugars and starches by plaque bacteria (11,32). The critical pH for demineralization is in the range of 5.2 to 5.7 (11,33). The recent, first-ever report of the U.S. Surgeon General on the oral health of the American public describes dental caries as a "silent epidemic" (34). Prevention of this disease is therefore a public health priority.
Laboratory animal, human, and in vitro studies support a beneficial effect of cheese on dental caries and suggest several mechanisms for this effect (11,31). In laboratory animals fed diets high in fermentable carbohydrates, intake of cheese has been shown to reduce the development of dental caries (35-37). Intake of cheeses such as Cheddar and Swiss fed between cariogenic meals protects against root caries in desalivated animals (i.e., at high risk of caries because of lack of saliva) (37). This observation suggests that consumption of cheeses may be especially important for older adults, many of whom are at high risk for root caries and for whom loss of saliva gland function may occur due to certain medications (32).
Human dental plaque acidity studies, which measure a food's cariogenic potential, demonstrate that cheeses such as aged Cheddar, Swiss, blue, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, Brie, Gouda, and American process cheese prevent plaque pH from falling to a level conducive to the development of caries (11,31,32). Demineralization/remineralization studies as well as human epidemiological investigations also support a beneficial effect of cheese on dental health (11,31,32,38-40).
Several varieties of cheese (e.g., Cheddar, Swiss, American process) have been shown to reduce the risk for dental caries, a disease recently described by the U.S. Surgeon General as a "silent epidemic."
Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain cheese's anticariogenic effect (11,31,32). Cheese may buffer or neutralize plaque acids; stimulate saliva flow which has caries-reducing properties; and reduce demineralization and/or promote remineralization by protein, calcium, and phosphorus. The buffering effect of protein in cheese (e.g., casein phosphopeptides) on acid formation in dental plaque and the promotion of food clearance by cheese-induced saliva flow are the most popularly held explanations for cheese's beneficial effect on dental caries (31). Both experimental animal and human epidemiological studies demonstrate that calcium and phosphate in cheese may be partly responsible for this food's ability to remineralize tooth enamel (11,31,32). When dental plaque samples were obtained from British adults before and 5 minutes after intake of cheese cubes or cheese-containing meals (e.g., pasta with cheese sauce), plaque calcium concentrations were significantly higher in subjects consuming cheese than in those who did not consume this food (41). This finding led the researchers to suggest that consuming cheese either alone or as part of a meal increases plaque calcium, which helps to reduce or prevent decreases in plaque pH levels and promote remineralization of tooth enamel (41).
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry advises parents to choose cheese along with other nutritious foods (e.g., vegetables, yogurt, chocolate milk) as caries-protective snacks for their children (42). A recent review of dietary determinants of dental caries recommends nutrition education aimed to help parents change their own and their children's dietary behaviors so that they choose diets with low or noncariogenic snacks such as cheese (33).
Lactose Intolerance. Cheese is an important source of calcium and many other nutrients in milk for individuals with lactose maldigestion (also called lactase non-persistence) (11). Lactose maldigesters may have difficulty digesting lactose, the principle carbohydrate in milk, due to a deficiency of lactase, the enzyme necessary to metabolize lactose. Lactose intolerance is the occurrence of gastrointestinal symptoms resulting from incomplete digestion of lactose (11).
As mentioned above, cheeses, particularly aged cheeses, contain negligible amounts of lactose. Studies demonstrate that lactose maldigesters can enjoy dairy foods, including cheese, without developing symptoms of intolerance (43,44). For example, women with lactose maldigestion were able to consume1,500mg calcium/day from a diet containing 2 oz of cheese, 2 cups of milk, and 1 cup of yogurt throughout the day without developing symptoms (43).
Cheeses, particularly aged cheeses, contain little, if any lactose. For this reason, most cheeses are well tolerated by lactose maldigesters.
Because cheeses, particularly hard cheeses (e.g., Cheddar, Swiss), are high in calcium yet naturally low in lactose, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children with lactose intolerance include cheese in their diet (45). Likewise for adults with lactose intolerance, cheese is recommended as a calcium-rich, well-tolerated food (11,46,47).
Other Health Benefits. Overwhelming scientific evidence indicates that consuming adequate amounts of calcium or calcium-rich foods may help delay or minimize age-related bone loss and thereby decrease the risk for osteoporosis (11,45,48,48-50). Foods, including cheese, are the preferred source of calcium and other nutrients important for bone health (51).
Research indicates that cheese can be included in dietary patterns that help reduce the risk of hypertension and heart disease. The well-publicized DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) and DASH-low sodium diets – which have been shown to lower blood pressure – included cheese (52- 54). The DASH diet contained three servings/day of dairy foods and 8 to 10 servings/day of fruits and vegetables (52,53). Although most of the dairy foods were in the form of lowfat milk and fat free yogurt, regular and lowfat cheeses were also included (53). In addition to reducing blood pressure, the DASH diet has been shown to significantly reduce total and low density lipoprotein blood cholesterol levels and lower blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease (55,56).
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