Cottage cheese is one of the most useful fermented milk products, which also has excellent taste and a lot of healing properties for the body. Is cottage cheese good? This will be discussed in this article.
Cottage cheese Useful properties of cottage cheese
Curd contains a whole set of amino acids, macro and microelements, vitamins, lipotropic substances, as well as milk sugar and folic acid.
Useful substances of cottage cheese:
- beta carotene
- Choline;
- Vitamin C;
- Vitamin E (TE);
- Vitamin A;
- Vitamin H (biotin);
- B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, pantothenic, pyridoxine, folic, cobalamins);
- Vitamin D;
- Vitamin PP;
Macronutrients:
- Calcium;
- Phosphorus;
- Magnesium;
- Sodium;
- Sulfur;
- Potassium;
- Chlorine;
Trace elements:
- Manganese;
- Zinc;
- Copper;
- Fluorine;
- Iron;
- Selenium;
- Molybdenum;
- Cobalt.
Milk proteins are characterized by high nutritional value, calcium and phosphorus form bone tissues, therefore cottage cheese is especially useful for children, minerals produce hemoglobin, which helps prevent anemia, vitamin B2 is involved in the regulation of metabolism, in the absorption of proteins in the body, improving vision, hematopoiesis, normalizes body weight, choline and methionine reduce the percentage of accumulated fats in the liver, which prevents atherosclerosis.
Is fat-free cottage cheese good for you?
Low-fat varieties of cottage cheese are obtained from skimmed milk. Such a product is easily absorbed by the body and contains a lot of useful substances.
On the one hand, the fatter the product, the worse the body absorbs its components, for example, calcium that enters our body with cottage cheese is absorbed more slowly when the fat content of the cottage cheese is above 15%. At the same time, many scientists are of the opinion that the benefits of fat-free cottage cheese are not great. And the complete exclusion of vegetable and animal fats from the diet will eventually lead to metabolic disorders, therefore problems with hair, nails, and skin appear.
There is no single answer to the question about the benefits of fat-free cottage cheese. When including such a product on the menu, it is better to add fruit, a banana, for example, or honey to it. This will help to saturate the body with many nutrients.
Is grain curd good?
Among other fermented milk products, it is granular cottage cheese that is the most easily digestible, therefore it is recommended to eat it for young people and people of mature age, as well as children. For the elderly, it is useful due to the absence of purines, and the proteins that make up the grain curd do not have a devastating effect on the joints, which becomes the prevention of certain age-related diseases. Casein protein makes granular cottage cheese an indispensable product of the diet. Athletes also need this valuable product, especially bodybuilders.
Is cottage cheese good for pregnant women?
Any dairy products should take an important place in the diet of the expectant mother. Cottage cheese should be chosen fat-free or calcined. In such types of them, there is 17% protein, which is even more than in meat products.
Curd contains a lot of methionine, which is important for the development of the fetus. The proportion of nitrogenous substances that are harmful to the liver and kidneys is less in cottage cheese than in meat.
Phosphorus, which is rich in cottage cheese, is important for the formation of the baby's skeletal system.
Is cottage cheese good for the liver?
Any dairy and sour-milk products are good for the liver, including low-fat cottage cheese, which is a storehouse of phospholipids and lysine.
Cottage cheese is also useful for fatty liver, because it contains an essential amino acid - methionine. It has a good effect on fat metabolism in the liver and throughout the body as a whole. But fat is primarily deposited in the liver, so cottage cheese with its lipotropic properties that regulate fat metabolism and reduce the proportion of bad cholesterol in the blood is a must in the human diet.
Is cottage cheese good for muscles?
Cottage cheese is among the leaders in protein content. It includes casein protein, which is absorbed for a long time. Therefore, it is recommended to eat it at night, especially after a workout, since muscles grow during sleep, so it will be useful for them to be fed with protein during the night.
Curd is contraindicated:
- People suffering from bowel diseases;
- With individual intolerance.
How much cottage cheese can you eat per day
The daily dose for an adult is no more than 200-250 grams, for children - 100-150 grams.
How to choose and how to store cottage cheese
Is cottage cheese stale or unnatural useful? Of course not. Good cottage cheese should be crumbly, soft, spreadable. It should not contain particles of milk protein. Low-fat cottage cheese may have some whey that stands out.
The mass should be uniform in color, white or slightly creamy.
In a stale product, dried yellowish crusts form around the edges.
The smell of cottage cheese should be only sour milk and no "aroma" of mold.
Try cottage cheese if possible. It should not be bitter, give off a taste of powdered milk. The sour taste will intensify even more.
If the product contains palm or coconut oil, then this is a curd product.
Store cottage cheese in the refrigerator for no more than three days. If you need to keep it longer, put the cottage cheese in the freezer, so it will lie for about six months.
Curd that has lost some of its freshness can be subjected to heat treatment, for example, to make casseroles or cheesecakes out of it. Not yet spoiled, but not the freshest cottage cheese prepared in this way will not harm your health.
Recipes for healthy dishes with cottage cheese
banana cheesecake
Mix half a kilogram of low-fat cottage cheese with two eggs, two medium bananas, 200 grams of low-fat sour cream, three tablespoons of honey. Put the resulting mass into a mold and bake in the oven for half an hour at a temperature of 170 °.
Cottage cheese pancakes
- Thoroughly rub half a kilo of cottage cheese in a bowl, add half a glass of flour, one egg, 2 tbsp. spoons of sugar, a pinch of salt.
- From the mixed mass, form a sausage with a diameter of 5 cm. Cut across into equal pieces 1.5 cm thick.
- Roll each piece in flour or semolina and fry in a pan until golden brown.
- The cheesecakes are ready. They are served with sour cream or jam.
Enjoy your meal!
Cottage cheese is “solid milk”, a traditional sour-milk dish that has a high value for human health. It is obtained by removing whey from fermented milk. In some countries, it is considered to be a variety of soft young cheese, and they really have a lot in common. In Russian culture, cottage cheese is a separate product, revered for its healing properties and high nutritional value.
According to the way the product is produced
The production of the product is carried out in two main ways: traditional and separate. Traditional production allows you to get two types of cottage cheese:
- Acidic, usually prepared from skimmed milk by adding starter cultures to it. Formed by the action of lactic acid.
- Acid-rennet is obtained by using rennet or pepsin to coagulate milk protein together with cultures of lactic acid bacteria.
The separate method of production is that the purified milk is separated into skimmed milk and cream with a fat content of 50-55%. The acid-rennet coagulation process produces a fat-free curd from the milk, which is then cooled and mixed with cream. With this method, you can get a product with any fat content, for example, soft dietary and peasant cottage cheese.
Types of cottage cheese with different properties
On the basis of the content of lipids in the product, it is divided into four categories:
- fat-free (up to 1.8%);
- lean or bold (2-3.8%);
- classic (4-18%);
- fatty (19-23%).
Cottage cheese is prepared using cream and table salt. The addition of consistency stabilizers is not allowed; rennet gives hardness to large grains. It is added to pasteurized milk, previously fermented with lactic acid streptococci, together with calcium chloride.
Diet cottage cheese is obtained by adding a solution of citric acid, calcium chloride and sourdough to skim milk. To obtain table curd, a mixture of buttermilk and skim milk is fermented with a pure culture of lactic acid streptococci. The product can also have additives (raisins, candied fruits, nuts, dried fruits, chocolate), be produced in the form of a sweet mass, curds, creams and cakes.
Obtaining calcined cottage cheese involves adding a 10% solution of calcium chloride to fermented milk, which makes it possible to artificially increase the proportion of the mineral in the product and, accordingly, the benefits of cottage cheese for the human skeleton. It has a uniform texture and relatively bland taste due to low acidity.
Warning: The daily intake of a calcined product should not exceed 100 g for an adult, large doses can harm the body. Its introduction into the children's diet must be agreed with the pediatrician.
Product types by origin
The origin of the product is determined by the type of animal from which the milk for fermentation is obtained. The most popular is cow curd cheese, in second place is goat, other varieties are much less common. Delicious, unusual and very useful cottage cheese made from sheep's milk.
Albumin curd
A special kind of product is albumin curd. It is produced from whey, its main protein is not casein, like any "regular" cottage cheese, but albumin, whey protein. It goes well with fruits, herbs, and is widely used for the production of confectionery.
Homemade cottage cheese
The benefits of homemade cottage cheese and its taste are difficult to overestimate. It is fresh, natural, free of stabilizers and other foreign substances. It can be purchased from small private farms, or you can make your own from raw or pasteurized milk.
Homemade cottage cheese recipe
Pour fresh whole milk into an enamel pan and put in a dark place to souring (the process takes about 24 hours). Heat yogurt in a water bath until whey separates and curd clots appear, let it cool. Throw the resulting mass into a colander or hang it in a gauze bag to drain the liquid.
Video: Homemade cottage cheese recipe
Useful properties and contraindications
Cottage cheese brings great benefits as a source of complete protein, which is easily absorbed by the human body. It requires significantly less effort from the digestive system than whole milk or curdled milk. The dish is used as part of diets in the treatment of obesity, heart disease, atherosclerosis, hypertension, disorders of the stomach, liver, kidneys, and pulmonary tuberculosis.
Athletes for gaining muscle mass are shown cottage cheese diets, especially during intense training. The product has a beneficial effect on the metabolism of fats, produces a diuretic effect. Regular nutrition of cottage cheese for 6 months helps to increase the amount of testosterone in men by 50%.
Curd calcium is indispensable for children during periods of active growth and formation of teeth and bones, for the elderly - in order to prevent osteoporosis. It is well processed by the body. The product also promotes the synthesis of hemoglobin and the restoration of the nervous system.
The benefits of albumin curd for the body is to maintain immunity and stimulate metabolism, cleanse the bile ducts and restore liver tissue. It improves vision, removes cholesterol, improves the quality of milk of nursing mothers, is useful for pregnant women, diabetics.
Video: "Live great!": Elena Malysheva's opinion on the benefits of cottage cheese
The use of cottage cheese for weight loss
Cottage cheese, especially albumin, is indispensable for overweight people. It helps to remove excess fluid from the body, speed up metabolism. A large amount of protein in the product makes it easy to satisfy hunger, maintain and build muscle tissue, while getting rid of fat.
Warning: For weight loss, you should use a product with a fat content of no more than 5%, otherwise it will not bring the expected benefits.
Recipe for a high-protein dish "Belip" ("without lipids")
Compound:
Cod (skinless fillet)
Low-fat cottage cheese without salt
Onion
Raw egg white
Cooking:
Mix cod, cottage cheese and onions in equal proportions and pass through a meat grinder, add raw egg white, prepare meatballs or a casserole from the resulting mixture.
Contraindications to the use of cottage cheese
Cottage cheese is harmful to health in case of an allergy to its components or individual intolerance to the product. With caution, include it in the menu for kidney diseases, avoid excesses. Regular consumption of cottage cheese somewhat lowers the level of serotonin in the brain. You can compensate for it with dates, bananas, soy and lentils, eggs and tomatoes.
Cottage cheese: rules for choosing and storing a product
Fresh cottage cheese usually has a slightly smearing, crumbly and soft texture. Whey may be present in a small amount, milk protein particles of different diameters are found. The taste and smell should be clean, characteristic of fermented milk products, and the color should be uniformly white, with a slight creamy tint.
A slight bitterness of the product is acceptable, especially in winter, a taste of wood. Attention should be drawn to signs that indicate damage to the product or a violation of the technological process of its production and that can harm the human body:
- A musty, unclean smell and taste is evidence of the work of putrefactive bacteria that have multiplied as a result of violations of the rules for storage, production regime or the use of inactive starter.
- Too sour taste is the result of lactic acid fermentation, the reasons for it may be insufficient and untimely cooling, excessively long pressing, the content of disinfectants or detergents, antibiotics in milk.
- The smell and taste of vinegar arises from the activity of acetic acid bacteria, is a consequence of the storage of the product at elevated temperatures.
- Rancid taste means the presence of mold and microorganisms in the food, which can occur with fatty cottage cheese when the pasteurization temperature of milk is insufficient.
- A bitter shade is a clear sign that the cow was fed grass or hay of a peculiar taste (wormwood), it can also indicate the presence of putrefactive bacteria, an increased content of pepsin.
- Yeast taste, "swelling" of the lid of the container or pack are the consequences of the action of yeast during long-term storage of an insufficiently chilled product. Escherichia coli can also be the cause of swelling.
- The consistency of the “rubber” of grained cottage cheese suggests the introduction of an excess dose of rennet during its production or fermentation of milk at an elevated temperature.
- A large amount of whey is released from the cottage cheese with insufficient pressing.
- Mold and slime in the product appears as a result of its storage in dampness and loose packaging.
- The insipid taste of cottage cheese is due to the use of low-active sourdough.
Long-term storage of cottage cheese is impossible even at a low temperature of 0-2°C. Frozen, it can be stored for 6-7 months at a constant temperature of -18°C.
At a temperature of 2-6°C in the refrigerator, cottage cheese and curd products are stored for 36 hours, for a low-fat product with stabilizers, the shelf life is 7 days, heat-treated - 2 weeks. Increasing the shelf life in this case reduces its benefits to the body.
Advice: If the quality of cottage cheese has deteriorated during storage or freezing, it can be improved by mixing with cream. Soaking it in milk for 2 hours, followed by squeezing, also helps to refine the product.
Composition of the product
Cottage cheese is rich in micro and macro elements, contains some vitamins and a lot of protein. Depending on the fat content, the composition of the product varies, as does its calorie content. The energy value of cottage cheese 0.6% is 88 kcal, soft dietary 4% - 136 kcal, 9% - 169 kcal, 18% - 232 kcal.
Fatty types of cottage cheese are rich in vitamins A, E, but contain less B vitamins than low-fat varieties. Calcium and phosphorus in a fat-free product are slightly less, and the amount of other mineral salts also slightly differs.
Nutritional value of low-fat cottage cheese 0.6% (per 100 g of product)When exactly people first extracted cottage cheese from milk and tasted its amazing taste, there is no exact information, but ancient treatises tell us that our ancestors used this very tasty dairy product and even used the benefits of cottage cheese for medicinal purposes.
The food industry offers the consumer a wide range of cottage cheese and curd products. Cottage cheese is a fermented milk product and is obtained by fermenting whole milk and separating whey. The mass remaining after this process is the curd.
Cottage cheese is produced from various dairy raw materials, from natural milk and normalized, reconstituted and recombined, from a mix of dairy products. It is divided on the basis of fat content from 1.8 to 25% (there is also completely fat-free) and on the quality of raw materials. Milk for cottage cheese is used both pasteurized and whole.
The most useful outside of any classification is considered cottage cheese. It is made from curdled milk by heating in a water bath. The protein is separated from the whey and the curd mass in a gauze bag is put under pressure.
Composition and calories
The composition of cottage cheese contains many substances useful for the body:
minerals: phosphorus (27.5%), calcium (16.4%), potassium (4.5%), iron (2.2%), magnesium (5.8%), sodium (3.2%);
amino acids (choline and methionine);
vitamins of groups A (8.9%) and B (19.4%);
vitamin PP (15.9%);
casein is a unique milk protein;
lactic acid bacteria.
The energy value (calorie content) of cottage cheese is 155.3 kcal 100 g of the product contains 16.7 g of protein, 9 g of fat and 2 g of carbohydrates.
9 health benefits of cottage cheese
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Replenishes the body with protein
Cottage cheese is an excellent source of protein, on average, 100 grams of this product contains from 14 to 18 percent of proteins. At the same time, unlike products of animal origin (meat, fish or poultry), the structure of cottage cheese does not consist of tissue fibers. Therefore, the body easily absorbs and digests curd flakes, receiving the necessary amount of protein - the most important component for the healthy development of all body tissues.
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Strengthens bone tissue
Regular use of cottage cheese will allow you to forget about visits to traumatologists and dentists for a long time. Due to the high calcium content, cottage cheese strengthens bone tissue, minimizing the risk of bone fractures. In addition, by adding this healing product to your daily diet, you can strengthen your teeth and protect them from the development of caries.
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Improves Liver Health
Cottage cheese contains the essential amino acid methionine, which is an excellent fat burner. It protects the liver from obesity, which can develop due to high cholesterol levels or the negative effects on the liver of certain drugs or dangerous toxins. In addition, doctors recommend consuming at least 300 grams of cottage cheese daily for people who are undergoing antibiotic treatment.
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The benefits of cottage cheese for women and children
Due to its rich composition, cottage cheese is extremely useful for pregnant women and nursing mothers. It replenishes the body with calcium and other micro and macro elements that a woman loses during pregnancy, and has a beneficial effect on the development of the fetus itself. Small children are recommended to give low-fat cottage cheese from the age of five to seven months. The product contributes to the growth and development of all tissues of the body, especially it is necessary for the formation of bones.
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The benefits of cottage cheese for the elderly
Due to its high calcium content, regular consumption of cottage cheese protects the elderly from the development of osteoporosis, the main symptom of which is brittle bones, and also strengthens teeth. Iron in cottage cheese improves blood circulation, potassium and magnesium stabilize the work of the cardiovascular and nervous systems, and a complex of vitamins improves brain activity.
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Improves digestion
Cottage cheese is included in the diet for people with various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: peptic ulcer, gastritis, pancreatitis, etc. It is very easy to digest and does not “load” the stomach, and the lactic acid bacteria it contains improve intestinal motility. But for these purposes it is best to use non-acidic cottage cheese with a minimum fat content.
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as a diuretic
Due to the presence of calcium salts in cottage cheese, it has a pronounced diuretic effect. Due to this, it is successfully used for the treatment of kidney diseases and hypertension. In addition, cottage cheese is used in dietary nutrition to remove excess fluid from the body, and those who want to lose a couple of extra pounds even arrange “curd” unloading days.
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For healthy skin, hair and nails
Due to the beneficial properties of cottage cheese, its regular addition to the diet improves the condition of the skin, hair and nails. But in addition to eating, this healing product is also used at home in the form of masks for the face, décolleté, hands and scalp. It is also found in many skin and hair care products. In addition, curd compresses are successfully treated sunburn What home remedies and preparations will help relieve pain and heal sunburn. How to use the products, what to do and what to avoid in various stages of a burn. .
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Cancer Prevention
Scientific studies have shown that eating cottage cheese prevents the occurrence of cancer. Due to the rapid saturation of the body with calcium, cottage cheese helps to eliminate free radicals, which are the main cause of cancer. In addition, this fermented milk product promotes phagocytosis of cancer cells. What does this mean? The human immune system uses special cells called phagocytes that track down cancer cells and engulf them. After such absorption, the phagocyte must be neutralized. This is where cottage cheese comes in handy, which contributes to the breakdown of such a cell by active digestive enzymes.
The benefits and harms of fat-free cottage cheese
There is an opinion that low-fat cottage cheese is not as tasty and healthy as fat, and does not have the same set of useful properties, since all the most valuable was removed from it during skimming. This opinion is wrong.
In its composition, low-fat cottage cheese is not inferior to fat. It contains the same vitamin group B, C and D, only vitamin A becomes less during degreasing, since it is fat-soluble and is excreted along with fat. Minerals in cottage cheese are preserved, only the percentage of fat content of the product decreases.
Fat-free cottage cheese brings the same benefits as other types of cheese. Calcium strengthens the skeletal system, potassium improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system, vitamins strengthen the immune system.
The only drawback of fat-free cottage cheese is that it has a low percentage of calcium absorption, but this in no way indicates the harm of cottage cheese. Experts say that for normal absorption of calcium by the body, cottage cheese must be not less than 9% fat.
Fat-free cottage cheese can be harmful to the body only if a person is on a strict diet and eats only low-fat cottage cheese, without eating any other products.
Contraindications to the use of cottage cheese
Cottage cheese brings great benefits to human health, but due to ignorance and inattention of the consumer, it can also cause harm. There are some contraindications for the use of fat-free cottage cheese, below are some of them.
- Cottage cheese should be abandoned to people with individual intolerance to the product.
- Cottage cheese can harm the body if you use a product with an expired shelf life.
- In the industrial production of cottage cheese, various chemical additives can be included in its composition to increase the shelf life and improve taste, and they can be very harmful, so you need to choose cottage cheese with a minimum content of foreign substances.
- Natural cottage cheese, on the contrary, has a very short shelf life and should be used within two to three days and stored only in the refrigerator.
- An overdose of cottage cheese is also harmful, like any other product. Its excess can adversely affect the normal functioning of the kidneys.
Otherwise, there are no contraindications. You can use cottage cheese for all people at any age, but only fresh and in moderation.
It is believed that the ancient Romans had prototypes of cottage cheese. Today cottage cheese is present in many national cuisines of the world. In some countries, it is considered one of the varieties of cheese, and somewhere a separate product. It is actively used in clinical nutrition and in all kinds of diets. But, how to find out what are the benefits and harms of cottage cheese? However, first things first.
Composition and calories
In many ways, the chemical composition depends on the fat content of the product, as well as its calorie content. The calorie numbers are something like this:
- Fat contains 226 kcal per 100g.
- Bold is 156.
- Low fat - 86 kcal.
- In fat-free cottage cheese - 70 kcal.
It is worth noting that cottage cheese is considered fat with 19% fat per 100g, in bold - 1-18%, in non-fat - a maximum of 3%. Carbohydrates here are represented by lactose, proteins contain from 14 to 18 g. The vitamin composition of cottage cheese is also rich. Yes, there is:
- retinol;
- beta carotene;
- riboflavin;
- thiamine;
- nicotinic acid;
- tocopherol (exclusively in fatty cottage cheese);
- ascorbin;
- cyanocobalamin (where the fat content is high);
- folic acid (not present in low-fat cottage cheese).
The mineral composition of the dairy product is also luxurious. Yes, there is:
- iron;
- calcium (cottage cheese is one of the champions in its content);
- sodium;
- phosphorus in large quantities;
- magnesium;
- zinc (only in fatty cottage cheese);
- potassium;
- fluorine (only in fatty forms);
- copper (only in fatty cottage cheese).
Useful properties of cottage cheese
One of the main advantages of cottage cheese is that it is easily and quickly digested, because this product lacks both cellular and tissue structure, which distinguishes it from animal proteins. Proteins are not only abundant here, but they are also well balanced due to their denaturation. In addition, casein itself is easier to digest than animal proteins. When using cottage cheese, much less gastric juice, enzymes and hydrochloric acid are released than when using other fermented milk products.
There is also a lot of methionine, that is, an essential amino acid that has a lipotropic effect. Methionine not only lowers the level of "bad" cholesterol, but also prevents the development of fatty liver. This problem can occur, for example, when taking certain medications and when strong toxins act on the body. When taking anabolic steroids to treat certain ailments, this dairy product is a must.
Another value of it lies in the abundance of calcium, which, like proteins, is easily absorbed by the body. And it's not just bones, hair, nails and teeth. This fermented milk product is a medicine for the treatment of rickets and ailments of the musculoskeletal system, after fractures, in addition, it restores cartilage tissue. It also has a positive effect on nerve tissue.
This product is simply necessary for diseases of the heart, blood vessels, blood and hematopoiesis. Cottage cheese must be in diets for the treatment of liver ailments, hypertension, atherosclerosis, tuberculosis.
As a dietary product, it is also used in the treatment of gastrointestinal ailments. These are ordinary gastritis, and ulcers, and intestinal ailments, and pancreatitis, and all diseases of the gallbladder or liver. In addition, the product also contributes to the removal of excess urine from the body, therefore it is recommended not only for hypertension, but also for diabetes and kidney ailments, as well as for all kinds of edema.
But traditional medicine has come up with a way to use it externally. So, with bronchitis and pneumonia, it is recommended to make a honey-curd compress at night. It is laid on the back and secured with paper and a warm cloth.
Harm of cottage cheese
An ideal product for a diet can, in some cases, do harm. For example, it is definitely not suitable for people who have lactose intolerance. It is not recommended to abuse this product for kidney ailments: there are too many proteins that load this paired organ.
Fatty types of cottage cheese are not recommended for those who suffer from or atherosclerosis. Well, of course, it is forbidden to eat spoiled cottage cheese, which has expired: at the store it does not exceed 5 days, at home - no more than a day and a half. Delay can provoke intestinal infections.
Types of cottage cheese
Varieties of cottage cheese differ not only in fat content, but also in other criteria. So, according to the method of preparation, cottage cheese can be divided into two types:
- Acid-rennet, in the manufacture of which pepsin is used (rennet can be used) and lactic acid bacteria, more precisely, their starter cultures.
- Acid. Here, only starter cultures are used to fold the protein. It is usually made from skimmed milk.
Fat-free cottage cheese: benefits and harms
Fat-free cottage cheese is no less useful than any other. There is phosphorus, and calcium, and proteins. But there are some subtleties.
It cannot actively harm health, but a reduced percentage of fats makes it less possible to fully absorb the same calcium and proteins. So, calcium is poorly absorbed without fat-soluble vitamins, which are almost absent in this product. And finally, there is not much cephalin and lecithin here, which are involved in many processes in the body, for example, in the transmission of a nerve impulse.
In addition, the taste of such cottage cheese is not very expressive. It's not terrible, but manufacturers improve it with nutritional supplements. Not all of them are useful.
Albumin cottage cheese: benefits and harms
This is a secondary raw material of cheese making, it is prepared from cheese whey and enriched with albumin protein. There are no fats, only 2 g of carbohydrates, but a dozen and a half names of microelements and macroelements. The product is easily digested, has a positive effect on metabolism and immunity. Helps to remove cholesterol and maintain water-salt metabolism, ideal for overweight people.
It can be harmful if expired, or for people with kidney problems: in this case, its amount is reduced to 400 g per day.
Grain cottage cheese: benefits and harms
Its benefits and harms are identical to any other type of cottage cheese, but it spoils more slowly than normal and is larger in volume. However, do not joke with the shelf life of the product.
Frozen cottage cheese: benefits and harms
When frozen, this product does not lose its beneficial and harmful properties, but it must be frozen and thawed correctly:
- The “correct” freezing temperature is from 18 degrees below zero.
- You need to freeze in small portions, you can not use plastic bags.
- You can store up to two months.
- It is better to defrost in the refrigerator - it will take about half a day, but this way you will not lose the beneficial properties of the product.
- After defrosting, squeeze the product lightly.
- It is better not to freeze cheese masses and sweet curds.
Goat cottage cheese: benefits and harms
This product is distinguished by a large amount of vitamins B 2 and B12, rich in magnesium and copper. By the amount of protein, it is close to meat, but less calorie. The product is mandatory for use by patients with osteoporosis.
It can become harmful only when consumed in excess: there are a lot of saturated fatty acids, and they lead to weight gain. Abuse of the product can also lead to an increase in cholesterol levels.
Homemade cottage cheese: benefits and harms
If you made cottage cheese with your own hands, then you are confident in the quality of the products from which it was prepared. And this is a big plus. Homemade cottage cheese is no less useful than store-bought options.
But it can be harmful if the expiration date has long expired. You can store it for only 36 hours. Spoiled cottage cheese can provoke vomiting and nausea.
Cottage cheese from powdered milk: benefits and harms
Powdered milk, and hence the cottage cheese from it, retains all its useful properties. The only feature is that the product has reduced fat content.
Harm is possible only if low-quality milk powder or its dubious substitutes were used in the preparation.
Combination with other products
Cottage cheese goes well with both sweet and cinnamon. But we will talk about the most famous combinations.
With honey. Cottage cheese is good because it gives the body an infinite amount of vitamins, microelements and macroelements and helps the immune system to work.
Harm is possible only if honey is of poor quality, you are allergic to it, or you abuse honey: this is also excess sugar in the blood.
With sour cream. Together, they will not only provide calcium to even the most growing body, but are generally capable of much. Sour cream is very rich in useful elements, including biotin, beta-carotene, phospholipids, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, zinc and potassium. This dish is simply necessary for young children whose musculoskeletal system and teeth are being formed.
Since sour cream is rich in fats, it is better to limit it to people who are prone to fullness and suffering from vascular diseases.
Cottage cheese with linseed oil. These are products made for each other. Flaxseed oil is a luxurious source of linoleic, linolenic and oleic acids. Proteins allow them to be better absorbed. And the acids themselves help the rapid absorption of all the nutrients from the cottage cheese. This mixture will help to lose weight and normalize the work of the female genitourinary system.
Harm is possible if you have chronic pancreatitis or cholecystitis. The mixture is not recommended for "female" cancers. Well, the oil must be fresh.
Cottage cheese with sugar or jam. Here we are talking about improving the taste of cottage cheese. And if jam is fruit, which means some vitamins, then sugar will only add calories and provoke weight gain. But you can replace them with dried fruits or marmalade.
For the male body
Cottage cheese, especially albumin, is the best way to build muscle mass without dangerous chemicals. Therefore, athletes need to pay close attention to it.
Benefit and harm to a woman's body
Cottage cheese is not only a source of beauty. It will help fight bone thinning during menopause, establish the menstrual cycle, but also overcome frigidity. Without fail, expectant mothers need it, but also nursing ones too.
Cottage cheese for children
Often this is the very first complementary food. And the most needed. For children whose skeleton and molars are just being formed, this product is simply necessary. Schoolchildren need it to maintain brain function and intellectual development.
Cottage cheese can be harmful to children only if it is intolerant, if it is a poor-quality product (remember that it is easier for a child to get poisoned) and if there are problems with the kidneys.
For people aged
With age, when the lack of calcium is more and more noticeable (and these are permanent fractures and injuries), you need to include this product in your menu. And even if they never loved him.
It is important to remember that in adulthood, the metabolism slows down. In order not to burden the body, older people are better off eating low-fat types of cottage cheese.
Cottage cheese for weight loss
Cottage cheese is an important component of many protein (and not only) diets. It perfectly saturates and does not allow you to eat too much. But do not abuse it - an excess of protein leads to serious metabolic disorders and liver diseases.
conclusions
Cottage cheese is a product that can be called a buzzword superfood. There is a sea of minerals and vitamins, as well as protein that is easily digestible. But all this applies only to high-quality cottage cheese. Also, don't overuse it. And finally, you should not choose the most low-fat types of it: in this way you deprive yourself of many vitamins.
Cottage cheese is one of the most famous and useful fermented milk products. In addition to the taste qualities for which it is famous, cottage cheese has many healing properties for the body.
According to historical evidence, cottage cheese was known in ancient Rome. In Russia, it was traditionally obtained from curdled milk - ordinary sour milk, which was placed in a heated oven in a clay pot, after which the curdled curdled milk was poured into a linen bag so that the whey formed was glass. After that, the curd was put under a press so that the whey was completely separated and a fairly dense mass formed. In a similar way, cottage cheese is prepared at home today.
- Bold (18% or more);
- Bold (diet soft, 9%);
- Non-greasy (up to 3%).
Cottage cheese is also distinguished by the way milk proteins coagulate. It happens:
- Acidic, usually made from skimmed milk. In this case, the protein is folded under the action of lactic acid, which is formed during lactic acid fermentation;
- Acid-rennet, prepared with the simultaneous use of lactic acid bacteria starter and rennet.
Composition of cottage cheese
The nutritional value of cottage cheese is higher than that of milk, since usually about 200 g of cottage cheese can be prepared from 500 g of milk. In addition, the nutritional value of cottage cheese depends on its fat content. Yes, it contains:
- In fat - 15 g of protein, 18 g of fat, 2.8 g of carbohydrates;
- Bold - 18 g protein, 9 g fat, 3 g carbohydrates;
- In non-fat - 22 g of protein, 0.6 g of fat, 3.3 g of carbohydrates.
The composition of cottage cheese includes:
- Vitamins - A, D, C and B vitamins;
- Minerals - iron, calcium, phosphorus;
- lactose (milk sugar);
- Enzymes.
Calorie cottage cheese
The calorie content of cottage cheese depends on its fat content. So, low-fat cottage cheese 0.6% contains 110-120 kcal, bold 9% - 169 kcal, fat 18% - 236 kcal.
The most beneficial for health is cottage cheese, which is low in calories and fat. Also, depending on the calorie content, cottage cheese is used both for diets and nutrition of athletes, and for preparing various dishes.
Useful properties of cottage cheese
Cottage cheese is an indispensable product for a healthy and nutritious diet. The beneficial properties of cottage cheese are due to the technology of its preparation, as a result of which two valuable components are extracted from it - milk fat and easily digestible milk protein. Milk protein (casein) has a high nutritional value and is able to replace animal proteins.
One of the beneficial properties of cottage cheese is the amino acids it contains, which are necessary for the prevention of liver diseases.
Cottage cheese is rich in phosphorus and calcium, without which the proper formation of bones and the skeletal system is impossible. These minerals are especially needed:
- With fractures;
- Children during the growth of teeth and bones;
- With hypertension and heart disease;
- With rickets;
- With kidney disease;
- Pregnant women;
- To old people.
Another useful property of cottage cheese is due to its constituent lactic acid bacteria, which improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and also normalize intestinal motility.
The benefits of cottage cheese
The benefits of cottage cheese as a source of calcium, amino acids and vitamins for children and the elderly have been proven. In addition, cottage cheese helps to normalize the functioning of the nervous system, increase the level of hemoglobin in the blood and can be used as a prophylactic for metabolic diseases. In baby food, the benefits of cottage cheese are noted when it is used as part of diets in the treatment of diseases of the kidneys, liver, digestive system, lungs and cardiovascular system.
The benefits of cottage cheese have also been proven:
- To increase the production of growth hormone. Back in the 70s of the last century, it was found that the use of proteins helps to increase the level of growth hormone;
- To reduce excess weight. Many studies confirm that cottage cheese and other milk proteins contribute to effective fat burning;
- To increase muscle mass. The amino acids of cottage cheese, providing the building of muscles and other tissues, are preferable to other sources of protein for building muscle mass. In addition, cottage cheese is rich in calcium, which contributes to an increase in testosterone levels, and, as a result, the rapid growth of muscle mass;
- As a prevention of atherosclerosis, since cottage cheese contains calcium and phosphorus salts, as well as methionine and choline.
Curd storage conditions
Cottage cheese is a perishable product. It must be stored in the refrigerator for no longer than 2-3 days. Also, so that it does not deteriorate, it should not be stored in plastic bags. The best way to store cottage cheese is enameled or glassware.
It is recommended to freeze homemade cottage cheese for long-term storage. In this case, it does not lose its useful properties, although the taste qualities become somewhat lower.
The use of cottage cheese
Cottage cheese as a source of easily digestible protein and calcium is recommended to eat daily up to 200 g.
Also, many nutritionists advise including it in various diets for weight loss:
- 400 to 600 g fat-free cottage cheese with 60 g sour cream, divided into four meals. In addition, during the day you can drink up to 100 ml of coffee or tea with milk and up to 2 glasses of rosehip broth;
- Three times a day, 100 g of low-fat 0.6% cottage cheese and 900 g of kefir, divided into six doses.
Eating cottage cheese before bed is a popular practice among bodybuilders and strength athletes. It is believed that during sleep, muscles recover and grow, and cottage cheese is a catalyst for these processes. Of course, in these cases, preference should be given to low-calorie low-fat cottage cheese.
Cottage cheese has long been used in folk medicine in the treatment of strokes, bruises, tumors. It is used for compresses, which are prepared from 2 tbsp. spoons of natural cottage cheese with 1 tbsp. a spoonful of honey. When treating burns, slightly warm cottage cheese should be applied up to three times a day to the burned area.
In addition, cottage cheese is also used for cosmetic purposes in the preparation of various creams and masks for the face and body.
With different calorie content, cottage cheese is widely used by culinary specialists all over the world. Many different desserts are prepared from it - cheesecakes, soufflés, cottage cheese, casseroles, muffins, cakes, cheesecakes and many other dishes.
Harm of cottage cheese
Cottage cheese does not cause harm in cases where you eat low-fat species with low calorie content. It is also necessary to carefully observe the recommended storage conditions and you should not eat cottage cheese that is stored longer than 2-3 days from the date of preparation.
Cottage cheese is considered a healthy product suitable for almost everyone. Cottage cheese can bring harm only in cases of individual intolerance to fermented milk products, as well as if it is eaten in excessive quantities.
Harm from cottage cheese can also occur with regular use of a “curd product”, in which starch and other third-party ingredients are added to increase calorie content and shelf life.