Blue cheese: benefits and harms. Video
Mold cheeses are special types of cheeses that have added food mold that is safe for the human body. Most often it is Penicillium mold. It has a peculiar taste and smell. It is curious that the mold can be white, greenish, blue or light blue, but this does not in any way characterize the freshness of the product.
Blue cheese: what’s the use?
Classification of blue cheeses
Almost all of them are elite and absolutely all are expensive. Mold cheeses ripen from two to six weeks. Many of them are made from cow’s milk. But the legendary Roquefort, no less tasty ardi gasna and some other species are made from goat milk. The cheeses in question can be roughly divided into two large groups: white and blue cheeses.
When ripe, white cheeses develop a thin, light crust with a small amount of mold on the surface. This mold is specially “grown” by spraying Penicillium. Because of this bacterium, cheeses have a pungent taste and excellent aroma that stimulates the taste buds. The most common cheese among whites is Camembert. It smells like mushrooms, damp earth and moss.
In blue cheeses, mold forms on the inside. The heads of such cheeses are kept for several weeks in deep, cold cellars, where a certain level of humidity is maintained. The taste of the cheeses depends on the cooking technology and the ripening time. Blue cheeses have a salty spicy or pungent taste, smell like mushrooms, nuts, and have hundreds of flavors. The technology of kneading the dough for this type of blue cheese has remained practically unchanged for centuries. The milk is heated to 30 degrees, and when it curdles, it is wrapped in cheesecloth and hung. The serum starts dripping. After two weeks, salt is added to the cheese and molds are introduced with the help of long needles.
Cheeses made from goat’s milk are considered healthier. They contain fewer calories and are easier to digest. Goat milk itself contains more vitamins A and B, iron, phosphorus and calcium than cow’s milk.
All noble blue cheeses have a very high protein content. Of the total, at least a quarter will be perfectly absorbed by the body. In addition, such cheeses provide a person with nine important amino acids that the body cannot produce on its own. Examples of such amino acids are valine and histidine. They accelerate the processes of cell regeneration, which means that wounds heal faster. Moldy cheeses are recommended for those recovering from surgery. Regular consumption of such cheeses will help strengthen tooth enamel, slow down the development of osteoporosis, and normalize the work of the heart muscle and nervous system.
Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Camembert, Brie and other moldy cheeses contain so much protein that they are far ahead of such recognized champions as eggs and fish.
Blue and white cheeses contain pantothenic acid. When it enters the human body, it begins to interact with enzymes. Scientists have shown that this chemical bond stimulates the production of hormones by the adrenal glands, as well as gives vigor and the ability to withstand the negative effects of stressful situations.
The benefits of moldy cheeses in a high content of vitamin A, which strengthens the immune system, has a beneficial effect on the skin, and helps to remove toxins.
Doctors recommend eating about 100 grams of blue cheese in several meals to stop diarrhea and vomiting, as well as restore intestinal microflora after food poisoning.
Moldy cheeses are not recommended for people struggling with excess weight for the following reasons: – high sodium content, which delays the removal of fluid from the body; – high fat content (up to 48 percent); – high protein content, due to which it will be difficult to calculate the maximum allowable amount in the diet.
Moldy cheeses are not recommended for people with chronic diseases such as pancreatitis, enterocolitis, peptic ulcer disease.
If a person has eaten too much noble mold cheese, then he has increased excitability and impressionability. People who abuse this delicacy are hyperactive and do not fall asleep well.
It is undesirable to use moldy cheese for people who have an individual intolerance to penicillin, as well as for those who have fungal diseases.
Moldy cheeses are contraindicated for children and pregnant women. Listeriosis, a foodborne infection characterized by spasmodic abdominal pain, fever, muscle pain, and indigestion, may develop. Listeriosis can lead to premature birth, miscarriage, and stillbirth.
Why is moldy cheese harmful?
The harm of moldy cheese is also manifested in the fact that penicillin fungi secrete antibiotics. And the antibiotics themselves, as you know, prevent bacteria from multiplying in the body. Alas, the vital activity of not only harmful, but also beneficial bacteria is suppressed.
The appearance of dysbiosis and intestinal infection after eating moldy cheese are possible. But often the reason is not in the cheese itself, but in its shelf life. Due to the high cost, mold cheeses are not everyday products, and therefore can lie in the supermarket for weeks. If we subtract from the total shelf life the transportation from the French provinces (after all, only there are genuine original moldy cheeses made), then there is not much time left for implementation. The integrity of the package and the temperature at which the product was stored also have an impact. It is advisable to buy blue cheese in small quantities: so that it is enough to eat once. Be sure to check the expiration dates.
Don’t trust cheeses cut or packaged at the supermarket. Most likely, you will buy a very expensive but substandard counterfeit product.
Moldy cheeses can be harmful to people with lactose deficiency.