5 lesser-known benefits of cottage cheese
What's the story
Usually made from curdled milk, cottage cheese or paneer has a creamy texture and a mildly sweet taste.
It is a favorite among athletes and calorie-conscious people as it is loaded with nutrients that help in losing weight and in building muscles.
While it is high in protein, vitamins A and B, and calcium, it's relatively low in fat.
Here are its five benefits.
Stay fit
Helps in weight loss
High in protein and low in fat content, cottage cheese is highly effective in promoting weight loss.
It keeps you satiated for a long time and keeps cravings at bay which prevents unhealthy snacking.
A rich source of conjugated Linoleic acid, cottage cheese stimulates the fat-burning process in the body.
You can also have cottage cheese topped with fruits or honey.
Blood sugar
Maintains blood sugar levels
Cottage cheese helps in lowering your blood sugar levels.
Loaded with magnesium, it checks the untimely spikes of your blood sugar levels while taking good care of your immune system and heart health.
The high protein content helps the slow release of sugar into blood and prevents sudden decline and hike in blood sugar levels.
Rich in calcium
Strengthens teeth and bones
Rich in calcium, cottage cheese is excellent for your bones and teeth.
Notably, 100 grams of cottage cheese offers 83 grams of protein, while one cup of 2% cottage cheese offers 227 mg of calcium.
According to experts, it can fulfill 8% of the daily recommended value of calcium.
Having calcium-rich foods during pregnancy and in general can reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis.
Healthy gut
Improves digestion
Loaded with a good amount of phosphorus, cottage cheese helps in digestion and excretion along with the production and extraction of energy in the cells.
Cottage cheese also contains magnesium which helps to give relief from constipation.
Having a laxative effect, magnesium draws water into the stools which makes them softer and enables them to pass through the intestinal walls easily.
Rich in selenium
Great for your skin health
Packed with selenium, vitamin E, and other antioxidants, cottage cheese helps fight free radicals and gives you healthy and clear skin.
It boosts skin and hair health while delaying signs of aging.
The selenium in cottage cheese gives relief from flaky skin and dandruff and makes your skin look youthful.
It's also a great source of amino acid proline that aids collagen production.