Many people have taken cheese off of their grocery lists in order to follow recommendations for a healthier diet. Experts warn that because cheese is high in saturated fat, it can lead to obesity, which is tied to the development of Type 2 diabetes. But a new study finds it can actually help prevent the disease.
The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that people who ate two slices of cheese (about two ounces) a day lowered their risk of developing diabetes by 12 percent when compared to those who had eliminated cheese from their diets.
Researchers, led by a team from the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands, studied the diets of 16,800 healthy adults and 12,400 patients with Type 2 diabetes. The study found that people who ate two slices of cheese (about two ounces) a day lowered their risk of developing diabetes by 12 percent when compared to those who had eliminated cheese from their diets.
While dairy products in general didn't have the protective effect, the risk of diabetes was also lowered by those who ate about two ounces of yogurt every day.
The researchers believe that the "probiotic" bacteria in cheese and yogurt produce vitamins during the fermentation process that help prevent diabetes as well as lower cholesterol, and the high amounts of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D in both products also help protect against diabetes.
Still, experts warn against pigging out on cheese in an effort to avoid diabetes. "It's too simplistic to concentrate on individual foods," Dr. Iain Frame, director of research at the charity Diabetes UK, told the Daily Mail. "We recommend a healthy balanced diet, rich in fruit and vegetables and low in salt and fat."