February 9, 2016 In Nutrition and health

The role of cheese in our diet

Cheese differs from the rest dairy products due to the processing it has gone through and its nutritional composition.

Which is the role of cheese in our diet?
Answered by Valasia Tokmakidou, Clinical Nutritionist-Dietician, BSc, Scientific Director of LOGO DIATROFIS, Thessaloniki, Founding Member of the Hellenic Nutritionists Society.

According to the production method and the maturation period there are 3 categories:
1) Soft cheese
2) Semi-hard cheese
3) Hard cheese

It is worth mentioning that hard cheese has higher calcium as well as protein content reaching 30%, a percentage sometimes higher than the one of meat.
Cheese is of high nutritional value. It is rich in proteins, calcium, vitamin Α and D, Β-complex vitamin and phosphorus.
Cheese contains small amounts of lactose and therefore can be consumed by people suffering from lactose intolerance (lactose intolerance is caused by the insufficient levels of lactase enzyme and for this reason some people are experiencing bloating and flatulence people after the consumption of dairy products).
Soft cheese contains 50% less lactase than milk, while the lactase content in hard cheese is even lower. This is due to the fermentation during cheese production leading to digestion-friendlier products.
Cheese is a rich protein source of high biological value and provides us with all the necessary amino acids. Due the cheese’s ripening, the protein is breaking down resulting in total absorption by the organism and leading to more easily digestible products. The high protein concentration in cheese contributes to the muscle development and damaged tissue repair.
As well as this, cheese and cheese products contain high levels of B-complex vitamins considered necessary for the normal function of the nervous system.
Moreover, cheese consists an excellent source of calcium. Calcium levels in cheese vary depending on their type and humidity as well as the production method. In most cases 60 gr. of cheese provide us with 30-60%of the guideline daily amount. In recent years even more studies and researches prove the importance of calcium in the metabolism regulation and the reduction of body fat through lipolysis. Generally, the harder the cheese is (e.g. parmesan, graviera, grana padano) the more calcium it contains. Calcium contained in cheese is directly absorbable through our intestinal system and therefore must be consumed by children with increased needs such as children that during their childhood build their muscle and skeletal system, pregnant or breast-feeding women, osteoporosis or osteopenia patients.

Calories and calcium content in various cheese types
Per 100gr
Cheese/100gr calories (kcals) calcium
Anthotyro 193 kcals- 238 calcium
Graviera 470 kcals- 891 calcium
Kefalotyri 438 kcals- 810 calcium
Feta cheese 346 kcals- 421 calcium

Cheese also contains high levels of fat and natrium.
Feta contains nearly 25% of fat.
Yellow cheese contains much more fat reaching up to or is higher than 50%.
Cheese fat is saturated as it is a tallow product. High consumption of saturates is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. For this reason, the food industries during the latest years have moved forward in the production of lower-fat cheese, keeping nutrients as unchanged as possible.
Myzithra, anthotyro and manouri are produced from whey that is the remaining from the production of other cheese such as feta. The fat content of the different cheese types is ranged as follows: myzithra, anthotyro and finally manouri (the richest one in fat).
Salt contributes to the cheese’s taste and helps its conservation. Some types of cheese such as the salty processed cheese Roquefort, salty feta etc are rich in calcium. In case you are suffering from hypertension and you would like to reduce the total natrium amount consumed you can choose low-natrium cheese such as unsalted myzithra, anthotyro etc.

Generally, cheese as foodstuff can be an integral part of a balanced and healthy diet as it provides us with numerous valuable nutrients but its consumption must always be in accordance with our needs.
Moreover, one should never forget to combine cheese with a complex carbohydrate’s source (wholemeal bread, pasta, potatoes) gaining this way all the necessary nutrients (carbohydrates, fats, protein).

February 9, 2016 In Nutrition and health

Goat’s milk products

Goat’s milk products consist a great alternative to those suffering from allergies or asthma.

It was many decades before since every household had its own goat. Goat’s milk and its products are still very famous and getting even more as their beneficial properties for human beings are constantly getting known.

The supporters of goat’s milk would never taste the slightest amount of cow’s milk. The lower lactose content makes it light, easily digestible and therefore considered by many as irreplaceable.

Compared to cow’s milk, the goat’s milk contains higher amounts of inositol, a substance relevant to the metabolism of fat acids that is why it is more easily digestible.

At the meantime goat milk’s products consist of a great alternative to everyone suffering from allergies or asthma compared to other milk types.

Flavour and colour

Are you suffering from iron deficiency or osteoporosis? Goat’s milk is the ideal solution for you, as it contributes to better absorption of minerals, such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron.

Three fatty acids are responsible for the taste of the goat’s milk: capric, caprylic, and caproic acid. The lack of carotenoid pigments is responsible for this all white colour. In fact, the goat milk’s composition depends on the goat’s breed. It also depends on the year’s period when the goat is milked. During summer, milk is more and its fat and protein content is lower, compared to winter.

One should take into account that goat’s milk must never be consumed unboiled (right after milking) and must always be pasteurized. Therefore standardized products are the most trustworthy.

Many goat’s milk types are mainly found in the market. Among these the certified biological products are the best choice, as they offer more security concerning the animals’ nutrition.

The inland production is also remarkable relevant products can be found in most of the supermarkets. The milking goats are often bred in free-range farms, whilst during the dry or wet seasons are fed with non-genetically modified plant-origin feed.

The fact is that goat’s milk does not burden human organism with calories, contrary to many people’s belief: it has the same calories as cow’s milk.

Cheese from your own region.
Did you know that the vast majority of cheese produced in Greece is from goat’s and sheep’s milk? Today there are nearly 20 Greek cheese types of protected designation of origin. All the licensed cheese types as well as the nearly 50 types of cheese produced in Greece are made of sheep’s or goat’s milk or a mixture of both.

February 9, 2016 In Nutrition and health

The beneficial properties of yogurt

Yogurt is a great source of animal proteins of high biological value.

Yogurt is a dairy product made from the fermentation of milk with special lactic acid bacteria. These bacteria are a combination of lactic bacillus (Lactobacillus bulgaricus) and a lactic streptococcus (Streptococcus thermophilus), which, jointly acting, induce the coagulation of milk and shape yogurt’s particular taste attributes.
Today we know that thanks to these bacteria, which are contained in large populations (tens of millions) on each gram of yogurt and, more generally, due to the milk changes from the fermentation caused by such bacteria, yogurt is not only an excellent food, even better than the milk from which it is made, but has other, more general, beneficial effects on the health of its consumers. Many scientists do not hesitate in labeling such beneficial effects also as therapeutic.
As food, yogurt is considered equal and sometimes better than the milk it originates from. Indeed, yogurt is an excellent source of animal proteins of high biological value, which are estimated (on a scale of 100) to be 87%, compared to 84% for milk and about 75% for the proteins contained in meat.
Furthermore, yogurt’s proteins are easier to digest than those of milk, fact which is attributed to the changes caused principally by fermentation.
With respect to sugars, yogurt contains mainly milk sugar (lactose) which has been fermented by bacteria, by a percentage of 30-40%, and has been converted to lactic acid and other by-products (aldehydes, ketones etc). This fact, while not essentially decreasing the nutritional value of yogurt, decreases the number of calories – one of the objectives of modern dietetics.
Regarding vitamins, yogurt is considered as a good source as milk. The same holds with respect to calcium. Yogurt is a rich source and a 230-250gr of yogurt intake can help a person cover 50% of his daily needs in calcium.

With respect to the beneficial effects of yogurt in health, it is known that:
a) Lactic acid contained in yogurt stimulates the mobility of the intestines, causes an increase of gastric secretions, increases the digestibility of casein and encourages the absorption of calcium by the intestine.
b) It has been demonstrated that yogurt bacteria contribute to proper intestine function and protect this most valuable organ from various pathogenic bacteria which may cause enteritis. The consumption of yogurt proves especially beneficial for those taking antibiotics.
c) Yogurt intake lowers blood cholesterol, attributed to an anti-cholesterol substance produced by yogurt bacteria.
d) Yogurt can be better tolerated by people with an allergy to milk, or those who are lactose intolerant.
In conclusion, it can be said that yogurt is an excellent food for everyone, easily and rapidly digestible (300gr are digested within an hour) and has beneficial effects to our health and the proper function of the intestine in particular.

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