I went to visit a friend of mine, and saw many boxes piled up in her store and asked her what it was that she was ‘hiding’ and she told me that those were boxes of cheese which she had just picked from the airport ready to distribute to her clients.

Ok- I was very impressed with that, she is a hardworking woman and apart from her other businesses she also sells cheese! I told her that she had to give me some to taste because now my mouth was watering- I love cheese! She was so good she even gave me some to take home.

How come you eat cheese, she asked me. The story is long but I told her about an uncle who used to work in a hotel and made sure that every weekend he came home to visit his sister, who is my mother. He would carry lots of goodies for us, but even on holidays he made sure we spent a week or two at the hotel where he worked, so I was exposed to these goodies from an early age-I told her.

Why I enjoy a piece of cheese anytime is because apart from the health benefits that cheese can provide, there are different types to choose from even for people who are so keen about their weight. People who are as big as I am - can always have a cholesterol free cheese and anybody else with health issues.

There are different types of cheese that one can choose from; Gouda, Mozarella, feta cheese and Blue cheese among many others. With these different types of cheese, each has a different specialty to be used on like the mozzarella cheese is always best used on pasta and spaghetti.

Cheese has of course some health benefits – but always has to be eaten in moderation, these are

Dental Care: Cheese is very-very high in calcium content, the first and foremost thing you need for strong teeth. Moreover, it is very low in lactose content. The older the cheese, the lower is the lactose content. This also is beneficial for the teeth as any form of sugar (glucose, maltose or lactose) in food stuff harms teeth.

Bone Health: Apart from having very high calcium content, cheese is also rich in vitamin-B, which is very good for children, women (particularly pregnant and lactating) and elderly people (well, for adults too), for formation and strengthening of bones and cartilages. The vitamin-B here aids proper absorption and distribution of calcium.

Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis is mainly a deficiency disease which is caused due to deficiency of calcium (non-absorption) of calcium, resulting in fall in the bone density.

This is particularly seen in women who are undergoing menopause, elderly people and children who suffer from malnutrition. This can be treated with a protein, calcium and vitamin rich diet (calcium alone will not help much, because the problem is with its absorption and utilization for bone formation). And these three are found in abundance in cheese. So, cheese can be ideal part of the diet of those suffering from osteoporosis.

There is also the Vitamin B that is found in the cheese. This vitamin-B is very good for maintaining many functions in the body and also for protection against diseases like Beriberi. It also enhances blood formation, strengthens liver, facilitates absorption of nutrients in the body etc. 

Many people shy away from eating cheese because there is perception that cheese fattens and for those who are watching on their weight would hear none about eating the cheese, not knowing they are also missing out on something very important that their bodies might need. It does not matter how you eat it whether it is a piece on its own, the way I like it, or in eggs or as toppings on your spaghetti, just little of cheese in your diet might keep the doctor away.

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