Why cottage cheese is useful: a complete overview of its composition, types and possible harm

Cottage cheese is considered one of the most useful and leading products with dietary characteristics. Cottage cheese is produced by fermenting milk using lactic acid bacteria and then separating the whey.

Prescribed as a prevention and therapy for various diseases.

Besides:

• It is an important source of protein, contains lactose, mineral elements, and carbon dioxide.
• The healthy curd contains vitamins A, C, D and group B, valuable elements such as iron, phosphorus, and calcium.

Cottage cheese - for pregnant women and children.

Phosphorus and calcium contained in this useful product have a positive effect on the formation of the human bone frame . That’s why growing children and pregnant women need it.

Nutritional value and chemical composition

Cottage cheese has several types, each of which has its own calorie content and is therefore useful in its own way:

• high in fat – about 18% (200 kcal per 100 grams);
• bold – about 9% (170 kcal per 100 grams);
• low fat content - from 5% and below (120 kcal per 100 grams);
• low fat (80 kcal per 100 grams).

Don't be afraid of fatty varieties. Of course, they are high in calories, but at the same time they supply us with energy and provide nutrients more than others. You should exclude them from your diet only in case of certain diseases, as well as if you are trying to lose excess weight and plan to combine cottage cheese dishes with fatty and sweet additives - for example, sour cream and dried fruits.

This fermented milk product contains:

• phosphorus;
• calcium;
• iron;
• magnesium;
• vitamins A, E;
• amino acids;
• carbohydrates.

Due to its high protein content, it has a positive effect on the gastrointestinal tract and is even recommended for those who usually experience digestive problems.

The peculiarity of cottage cheese is that it is digested much faster and easier than other dairy products, and also has a positive effect on the liver. All this means that it has fewer contraindications and can be eaten even at night.

Pure protein

Looking for a product that will provide the maximum amount of protein possible? Consider that you have already found it. To prepare a protein-rich dish, or more precisely, protein almost in its “pure form,” you will need cod (fillet), low-fat cottage cheese, the white of a raw chicken egg and a little onion. Pass all the ingredients through a meat grinder, mix, form into balls or bake a casserole.

This dish is ideal for bodybuilders and those on a protein diet.

Useful components (per 100 g of 9 percent product)

Benefit for adults

Cottage cheese is useful for both women and men.

Thanks to it, metabolism is accelerated, which means that it is easier for the fair sex to maintain good shape and their natural beauty. It gives the skin radiance, strengthens hair and nails, and also maintains iron levels at the level necessary for women's health. Some scientific studies have shown that regular consumption of cottage cheese helps prevent breast cancer.

For men, the product is useful because it contains zinc and selenium, which help the production of testosterone. This has a positive effect on male potency and reproductive function.

The curd mass is made from milk and retains most of the beneficial ingredients of the base product:

• removes harmful toxins and waste from the body;
• reduces the risk of blood clots;
• reduces the amount of bad cholesterol;
• has a beneficial effect on blood pressure;
• improves heart function;
• strengthens the body's resistance to viruses and colds;
• normalizes intestinal health;
• promotes good joint function.

Benefits during pregnancy

The calcium in the product has a good effect on the development of the fetus, and also gives strength and helps the expectant mother to be more resilient. In addition, the curd mass significantly reduces the risk of symphysitis. This disease begins due to a lack of calcium in the body and can lead to bone separation and even become a threat to the health of the fetus.

However, at such an important period in the life of every woman, we must not forget that the product must be made from high-quality raw materials and be fresh. If a woman suffers from lactose intolerance, then it is better to avoid cottage cheese.

Beneficial features

The curd mass contains vitamins that have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the main organs and their systems. Its main beneficial properties are:

• slowing down the aging process;
• preventing the development of vitamin deficiency;
• improving the condition of the skin and mucous membranes;
• acceleration of growth;
• relieving fatigue of the visual system;
• acceleration of protein, carbohydrate, fat metabolic processes;
• improving the condition of the vascular walls of muscle tissue;
• reducing the risk of anemia;
• normalization of the central and peripheral nervous systems.

Daily use of the product will make the body much stronger, more resistant to stress, and increase its physical endurance. However, you should not include more than necessary in your diet. In addition to the fact that this can cause certain deterioration in a person’s well-being, there are also certain groups of people for whom the use of “sour milk” is contraindicated.

Benefits for the elderly

Regular consumption of cottage cheese is important for older people. For example, in women from 45-50 years of age, menopause begins, which negatively affects hormonal levels and the amount of calcium in the body. This in turn can lead to such a serious disease as osteoporosis.

The danger of age-related leaching of calcium from bones is that this process does not have clearly defined symptoms. The disease becomes noticeable only when even small impacts or falls lead to serious fractures.

With age, the danger of increasing cholesterol in the body increases, so we need cottage cheese in order to reduce its amount and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Help with weight loss

Without cottage cheese, it is difficult to imagine a balanced diet aimed at losing weight. It is able to increase muscle mass when playing sports, and also saturate our body faster.

In addition, this dairy product speeds up metabolism and promotes faster weight loss. It goes well with fruit, honey and is simply irreplaceable as a breakfast or snack for those who watch their figure and choose natural products for their menu.

On our website you will find interesting recipes for cottage cheese dishes.

Advice: the maximum benefit to the human body will come from homemade cottage cheese with a high content of natural substances and medium fat content, which does not contain preservatives. It is not difficult to determine the naturalness of a product - the shorter its shelf life (no more than 2 weeks), the better.

Combination with other products

Cottage cheese is healthy in itself. But if you learn how to properly combine the curd mass with other products, the healing properties of such a dish will only increase.

It goes well with products such as:

• honey;
• bananas;
• raisin;
• nuts.

When I want to give myself a fasting day, I mix cottage cheese with kefir. This combination allows you to quickly get rid of toxins, feel light, and at the same time enrich the body with calcium and protein. True, it’s worth doing such a detox once every couple of weeks, but not every day.

Attention: if you combine cottage cheese with sour cream, then, on the one hand, you can increase the content of nutrients in the dish, and on the other, its fat content will also increase significantly.

A note regarding cancer treatment

Alternative medicine methods and special diets have long been used in the treatment of cancer, although not always with positive results. The Bill Henderson Protocol is a diet that claims to treat cancer by increasing the intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids from foods such as flaxseed oil and cottage cheese. Memorial Cancer Center named after. Sloan-Kettering says there is no evidence that this approach is effective and cautions against its use in cancer treatment.

11 quick recipes with cottage cheese

Cottage cheese

In stores you can often find a type of dairy product such as grained or granular cottage cheese. These are white grains with a delicate taste. It has less fat content than regular one, so this option is perfect for those who are watching their weight.

Granular cottage cheese has the same useful characteristics as classic:

• it contains a lot of phosphorus and calcium, B vitamins;
• it is recommended for high cholesterol levels and gastrointestinal diseases.

I like to mix it with honey or jam, and it can also be used to make salads with fresh vegetables and fruits.

Fun fact: Lesser-known goat's curd contains more bone-healthy calcium than cow's milk.

A little history

The first indirect documentary mentions of cottage cheese can be found in the Mesopotamian civilization.
This product was also actively used in Ancient Rome. On the territory of Ancient Rus', cottage cheese was called cheese, and accordingly, any dishes based on it received a similar-sounding root. The name of the product, revered by the Slavs, took root so strongly that it was used for a long period of time even after the appearance of hard cheeses in everyday life. Modern methods of preservation were not yet known at that time, so cottage cheese was practically not stored unchanged - it was pressed, placed in an oven, and after the moisture was released, it was put into pots and filled with melted butter. In this form, the funeral product could be stored for months.

Homemade cottage cheese

Homemade cottage cheese, like most homemade products, is healthier than store-bought cottage cheese. The main reason for this is the minimum of preservatives and maximum freshness of the dish.

Cooking process

Cottage cheese is made in several stages. First, the milk is allowed to sour and curdled milk is obtained from it. Then add fermented milk starter to it, heat it a little and separate the liquid from the final product.

Homemade curd mass will turn out tasty and healthy only if you used whole milk and the preparation process was strictly followed.

You can learn more about how to properly prepare homemade cottage cheese from a separate article on our website.

How to cook it yourself

A variation of cottage cheese from supermarkets is homemade cheese, which can always be bought at the market. But it is precisely this version of the product, as nutritionists say, that can be fraught with the most dangers if it is made from low-quality milk.

To be more confident in the freshness and quality of the product, you can try making cottage cheese yourself. Moreover, there is nothing complicated in this recipe.

To make homemade cheese, you will need yogurt, which must be placed in a water bath for some time. When a protein lump forms in the liquid, drain the whey and place the cheese lump in a gauze or cloth bag. Press down with weight. When the excess liquid has drained away, the cottage cheese is ready to eat. This product will undoubtedly appeal to adults and children. But, most importantly, now you are confident in the quality and freshness of your cheese.

The finished product can be eaten without additives, with vegetables, fruits, sour cream or yogurt, added to salads, made into cheesecakes (cottage cheesecakes), pies and pies, cookies, cheesecakes and desserts. In a word, everything that imagination allows [7].

Harm and contraindications

Cottage cheese is not recommended for those who are lactose intolerant. Such an allergic reaction can be expressed in problems with digesting the product, nausea, and abdominal pain.

The main contraindications for cottage cheese relate to exceeding the daily recommended amount. Experts believe that every day an adult can eat no more than 200 grams of the product.

Otherwise, an excess of casein protein can lead to edema, and an excessive amount of animal fats will negatively affect the functioning of the liver and kidneys.

In addition, overeating can cause increased cholesterol and, as a result, the formation of blood clots in blood vessels.

You can learn more about the benefits and harms of this product from the following video.