10 Amazing Health Benefits Of Blue Cheese

Blue cheese is one of the types of cheese known for its pungent smell and tangy flavor. Originally from France, blue cheese is made from the Penicillium Roqueforti bacterium, which gives it the characteristic blue spots and veins. Rich in calcium and several other minerals, blue cheese benefits your health in many ways, making it a necessary addition to your diet. In this article, we take a look at some of the benefits of blue cheese and its nutritional value.

What Is Blue Cheese

As the name suggests, blue cheese is a blue-green colored mold cheese. The blue molds present in the veins of cheese are because of the presence of bacteria that start aging, thereby imparting the cheese its characteristic blue shade (1).

There are various types of blue cheese, like Roquefort, Danablu, Gorgonzola and Blue Stilton. It is low in calories and is full of various nutrients that are essential for our body.

Benefits Of Blue Cheese

As stated above, blue cheese can be beneficial for our health in several ways, and given below are 10 such blue cheeses .

1. Heart Health:

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Addition of blue cheese in your diet may help in lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Studies have shown that people who consume blue cheese regularly have a lower risk of contracting cardiovascular diseases than their counterparts who do not consume it. Blue cheese also helps in lowering cholesterol levels, and prevents artery inflammation and blood clotting in veins or arteries (2) .

2. Fights Arthritis:

As we start aging, more health issues are experienced by us, arthritis being one of them. Blue cheese possesses anti-inflammatory properties that help in reducing joint inflammation and relieve arthritis pain (2). Addition of blue cheese in your diet plan lowers the risk of arthritis and also helps in combating it.

3. Prevents Osteoporosis:

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Osteoporosis is a condition when bones become so weak that they may tend to fracture even by a mild fall. It is more common in women than men. Blue cheese is a very good source of calcium that is important for bone health. One ounce of blue cheese has about 150 milligrams of calcium. Thus, consumption of blue cheese makes your bones healthy and helps in preventing diseases like osteoporosis (3).

4. Enhances Memory:

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Nutrients present in blue cheese help in enhancing memory and fight memory problems. Consumption of blue cheese enhances brain cell functioning. So start adding blue cheese to your kids’ diet to improve his memory!

5. Source Of Phosphorus:

Blue cheese is a very good source of phosphorus (4). This mineral is very important for healthy bones and teeth. Deficiency of phosphorus can lead to bone related problems like rickets. Apart from healthy bones and teeth, phosphorus also performs many vital functions in the body.

6. Milk Protein:

Blue cheese contains milk protein, so those who can’t drink milk directly due to lactose intolerance can go for blue cheese to get the required protein (4).

7. Dental Health:

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One of the less talked about benefits of blue cheese. Blue cheese is dental friendly. Presence of a good amount of calcium makes it good for your teeth (4). Consumption of blue cheese helps in preventing and fighting plaque and tooth decay.

8. Boosts Immune System:

Studies have shown that blue cheese consumption boosts the immune system. Blue cheese can provide a number of essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, vitamin D, potassium, sodium, and zinc (4). In other words, it plays an important role in preventing diseases by providing us with a strong immune system.

9. Anti-Cellulite:

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Blue cheese has got the anti-cellulite property. Thus, it prevents fats from accumulating in the form of cellulitis.

10. Anti-Inflammatory:

Inflammation is a major problem plaguing most of us today, and if ignored, can turn serious and even fatal. Blue cheese has got anti-inflammatory properties. Thus, it helps in fighting various inflammatory problems in our body (2). Hence, include blue cheese in your diet today and say goodbye to inflammation!

So, this was about amazing health benefits of blue cheese, now let’s look into nutritional value of blue cheese.

Blue Cheese Nutrition Facts (amount per 28 gm)

The nutritional breakdown for 1 ounce (28 grams) of blue cheese, according to the U.S. Department Of Agriculture (USDA), is given below (4)

• Calories: 100
• Fat: 8.14 g
• Carbohydrates: 0.663 g
• Cholesterol: 21.3 mg
• Protein: 6.07 g
• Fiber: 0 g
• Sugars: 0 g
• Sodium: 326 mg
• Calcium: 150 mg
• Sodium: 326 mg
• Phosphorous: 110 mg
• Potassium: 72.6 mg

Infographic: Top 5 Benefits of Blue Cheese For Your Bones And Teeth

Although blue cheese is revered for its characteristic flavor and aroma, its nutritional value can also make it the star of the show. Blue cheese as with most dairy products, is packed with calcium which makes it beneficial for those looking for healthy, natural options to boost their bone health.

Check out the infographic below to learn more about the health benefits of cheese for your bones and teeth as well.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is blue cheese harmful?

Blue cheese is safe to consume. However, consuming spoiled blue cheese or its overconsumption may lead to food poisoning or other health complications.

Is blue cheese a natural antibiotic?

No. Even though blue cheese contains antimicrobial compounds, it does not contain antibiotics that can be used medically (2).

Does blue cheese help gut bacteria?

Maybe. Even though blue cheese is a fermented product that may contain live microbes, research on its ability to help gut bacteria is lacking (5).

Is blue cheese good for high blood pressure?

Maybe not. While the role of dairy product consumption on the risk of hypertension is not established yet, blue cheese has high sodium levels that may be detrimental to people with high blood pressure (6),(7).

Does blue cheese have penicillin?

No. The antibiotic penicillin is derived from a fungus called Penicillium chrysogenum. Blue cheese is made with a different strain (P. roqueforti).

Sources

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Tanya ChoudharyHealth & Wellness Writer

 

Tanya is an ISSA certified Specialist in Fitness & Nutrition. She specializes in writing articles on ingredients that benefit skin, hair, and health. She believes in the right health and lifestyle practices and strives to promote the same to everyone around her. She finds purpose in creating authentic and useful content that can impact people's health in better ways. In...more