We all remember very well how in childhood our grandmothers and mothers talked about how healthy and tasty this product is. Indeed, the benefits of cottage cheese can hardly be underestimated. It contains many vitamins, minerals, protein and amino acids necessary for the body. All these indicators put cottage cheese on one of the leading places in terms of utility for the human body, among other dairy and sour-milk products.
What is the secret to the popularity of low fat products?
In the modern era, many people pay great attention to their health, especially to weight. Following numerous diets, they choose low-calorie foods. This circumstance pushes manufacturers of dairy and sour-milk products to produce food products with low energy value.
This trend was not spared and our "old friend" - cottage cheese. The idea of making a tasty and healthy product attractive to losing weight people was embodied in the creation of low-fat cottage cheese. This product differs from the classic counterpart in lower calorie content. This is achieved by reducing the fat content in the feedstock - milk. Thus, fat-free cottage cheese is obtained , the benefit and harm of which is caused by constant debate both by nutritionists and ordinary consumers.
Features of curd production technology
As mentioned earlier, the beloved product is produced on the basis of pasteurized cow's milk. Raw materials normalized whole or fat-free with the addition of buttermilk. In order to get cottage cheese from milk, a special yeast is added to the initial products, consisting of a pure culture of lactic acid bacteria. Additionally, rennet , pepsin, or calcium chloride solution may be administered. The clot obtained during the process is separated from the serum. This is a ready-to-eat product. It is packed in packaging for sale to the consumer or serves as raw material for the confectionery industry. It is important to note that in the production of cottage cheese, which will not be subjected to heat treatment before direct ingestion, only pasteurized milk, devoid of any microorganisms, is used.
What indicators should a good cottage cheese meet?
In this classic way, cottage cheese is cooked. The benefits and harms of a fermented milk product directly depend on the feedstock, as well as on the correctness of the process in compliance with all controlled parameters.
A quality product must meet the following requirements:
- The protein content is 15-20%.
- Smell and taste - pure and sour-milk, extraneous shades are not allowed.
- Color - white, slightly yellowish, the presence of a cream color is allowed. This indicator should be uniform throughout the mass.
- The consistency of the product depends on its fat content. For cottage cheese with a high fat content, a gentle and uniform mass, slightly smearing structure, is considered normal. Fat-free cottage cheese, the benefits and harms of which are beyond doubt, should be consistently friable, slightly heterogeneous, with a small separation of serum.
- According to the indicators of microbiological studies, the content of bacteria of the group of Escherichia coli (BCC) in 0.00001 g and pathogenic microorganisms (including salmonella) in 25 g of the product is not allowed.
If this fat-free cottage cheese is in front of you, the benefits and harms in it comply with the standards. This means that there will be no negative consequences from its consumption in food. An exception may be people with individual intolerance to products and the presence of some chronic diseases.
Types of cottage cheese
If all types of cottage cheese are classified according to fat content, then the following products can be distinguished:
- Bold, 18%.
- Bold, 9%.
- Low-fat or non-fat, 0.1 - 1.8%.
- Peasant, 5%.
- Table, 2%.
- Dietary, 4-11%.
- Dietary with fruit and berry filler, 4-11%.
- Non-greasy, with fruit filling, 4%.
Among the variety of these foods, you can choose cottage cheese that is acceptable in taste and quality . People who are inclined to count calories and carefully compose their daily diet, choose the option with lower energy value. The benefits and harms of soft soft fat-free cottage cheese raise some doubts. Is a diet product inferior to its more high-calorie "fellow"? Does the original product lose its beneficial properties with the extracted milk fat? Does it acquire harmful qualities?
Classic cottage cheese and its useful properties
Let's think about the difference between the composition of fatty and fat-free cottage cheese. The benefits and harms of each product are determined by their composition.
Classic cottage cheese with a fat content of at least 9% contains the following substances, which, of course, benefit the human body:
- Calcium. This mineral performs many functions in the human body: it affects muscle contraction, conducting nerve impulses, strengthens bone tissue, helps blood coagulate, and much more. The peculiarity of calcium in dairy products is that it is in complex with lactic acid with the formation of lactate. This substance is available to the human body and is absorbed quite well. Fat-soluble vitamin D, which is also found in dairy products with a natural level of fat, contributes to the maximum absorption of calcium.
- Protein. This is the main building material. All tissues and organs of the human body are built on the basis of the amino acids that make up the proteins. A feature of cottage cheese protein is its digestibility.
- Therefore, it is cottage cheese that is advised to be consumed by children, patients with metabolic disorders and elderly people. Only dairy products contain a special protein, casein, which normalizes the metabolism of fats in the human body.
- Vitamins Cottage cheese is rich in various vitamins: D, E, A, B2, B1, B12, B6, PP. These nutrients contribute to the full functioning of the human body by regulating the activity of organs and systems. Vitamins E and A are natural antioxidants and prevent aging and the formation of serious diseases such as cancer.
- Minerals. In addition to calcium, cottage cheese contains potassium, iron, phosphorus, and magnesium. All of them play a huge role in the functioning of the human body. Such a balanced composition puts all points on the “and” in the question: "Cottage cheese - good and harm?" The beneficial properties of this dairy product, of course, dominate its possible negative effect.
- Unique substances - cephalin and lecithin phospholipids - are found in milk fat. They are remarkable in that they are the building material for all cell membranes and are involved in the neural regulation of vital processes.
- Among other amino acids, methionine is present in the curd. This particular substance has a hepatoprotective effect and protects liver cells from fatty degeneration. Cottage cheese is also useful in certain endocrine disorders associated with obesity, gout, and thyroid dysfunction.
The balanced natural composition of this product makes even skeptics stop arguing about whether cottage cheese is healthy. Cottage cheese, the benefits and harms of which are incommensurable, is a valuable product for people weakened by the disease, as it contributes to the speedy restoration and normalization of all the most important body functions.
Can cottage cheese harm the body?
Nutritionists still advise with some caution to consume cottage cheese in the following cases:
- With the disease atherosclerosis.
- With individual intolerance to milk protein.
- In severe kidney disease.
- Overweight.
This group should limit their use.
Do not forget about the expiration date!
Cottage cheese made according to the classical recipe can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than two days at a temperature below + 8 ° C. After this, bacteria begin to multiply actively in the product, and protein decay processes occur. If you eat expired cottage cheese, you can get serious poisoning. Be sure to pay attention to the expiration dates of the product! If the manufacturer indicates a shelf life of more than 2-3 days, it means that preservatives have been added to the curd. The only thing that can extend the life of the product is vacuum packaging. Cottage cheese can be stored in it for 30 days. An important condition is that the integrity of the packaging must not be compromised. After opening the evacuated product, it must be consumed within 2 days.
What are the features of fat-free cottage cheese?
Now let's take a closer look at what fat-free cottage cheese is. Is there any benefit or harm in this mysterious product? In fact, this cottage cheese differs from the one described above in its nutritional and energy value. In low-calorie cottage cheese, the fat content is minimized. This gives it the properties of a dietary product. This means that all or almost all of the milk fat was removed from the feedstock - milk - by separation. This makes it possible for thinning people to use this product and not be afraid for being overweight.
Is fat-free cottage cheese useful?
But did all the curative benefits of cottage cheese remain? Fat-free cottage cheese, together with a high-calorie component, partially or completely loses the following substances and properties:
- Fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E are practically absent in low-fat cottage cheese.
- As a result, the bioavailability of calcium is reduced. From a low-calorie product, it is absorbed worse.
- Lecithin and mullet also disappear along with milk fat.
- The content of proteins and amino acids is slightly reduced.
Judge for yourself what fat-free cottage cheese can give the body? The benefits or harms of cottage cheese with reduced calories cause disagreement among nutritionists. Some say that this product loses most of its surprisingly beneficial properties along with fat. Others argue that a light product is becoming available for people with obesity and atherosclerosis. Oddly enough, both of them are right in their own way.
Is fat-free cottage cheese harmful?
Fat-free cottage cheese itself is not bad. When it is eaten, the body receives valuable easily digestible protein, vitamins, trace elements and other biologically active substances. But the thing is that not many people will like the “lean" taste of such cottage cheese. To some, it may seem empty or sour. Enterprising dairy producers quickly found the right solution. They began to add sugar or other sweeteners, flavorings, fruit or berry fillers to low-fat cottage cheese. Most of them are synthetic in nature and are foreign substances to the body. Think about what such cottage cheese can bring to your body? Fat-free cottage cheese, the benefits and harms of which are doubtful, is a product full of flavorings and preservatives. Think about what is good in such a "low-calorie" diet?
Due to the addition of sweeteners, the energy value of the product can exceed that of fatty classic cottage cheese. The chemical components that improve the taste can imbalance the body, disrupt metabolic processes and cause some diseases. Thus, sweet cheating can bring serious health troubles.
What do nutritionists advise?
Nutrition experts advise to approach this issue wisely. If you do not have a serious illness (atherosclerosis or renal failure), then do not fall into hysteria about the dilemma: what fat content is better and healthier to eat? Fighting overweight should be competent. It is better to eat classic cottage cheese, enjoy its wonderful creamy taste and enrich your body with unique natural beneficial substances. And calories can very easily be spent by training in the gym or jogging in a shady park. Be healthy and enjoy life!