Cheese is not only delicious and nutritious, with its abundance in calcium and vitamin B12, it can also slow down the ageing process, according to a new study.
In the study published in the journal Nature Medicine, European researchers analysed the effect of a compound found in aged cheese (as well as legumes and whole grains) called spermidine.
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Previous research has found that spermidine extends the lifespan of fruit flies and ringworms. Extending on that research, the team supplemented the drinking water of mice with spermidine. Control mice drank normal water.
They found that it "significantly extended" the median lifespan of the mice, even when they started their spermidine diet in middle age. The mice with the cheese-enriched diet also showed improved heart function and lowered blood pressure.
The researchers believed that the cardioprotective benefits were because the spermidine activated a process called autophagy, where the cells clear out toxins and recycle damaged cell parts.
Autophagy improves longevity and cellular function and slows the ageing process.
Following their study of mice, the researchers surveyed 800 Italians about their diet and found that those who reported a higher intake of spermidine had lower blood pressure and a 40 per cent lower risk of heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases.
The survey worked to "corroborate the novel concept that spermidine-rich diets are protective against cardiovascular disease and reduce the risk of cardiac death in humans", the study's authors said.
While further studies are needed, the authors concluded: "In humans, high levels of dietary spermidine, as assessed from food questionnaires, correlated with reduced blood pressure and a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease. Our results suggest a new and feasible strategy for protection against cardiovascular disease."
A separate new study found that people who ate 80 grams of high-fat cheese each day increased their "good" cholesterol levels compared with those who ate the same amount of low-fat cheese or no cheese.
Meanwhile another small study from last year found that cheese-eaters had higher levels of butyrate levels – a compound associated with higher metabolism, reduced obesity and cholesterol.
In fact, a recent analysis of 18,438 women in the Women's Health Study, found that those who consumed the most high-fat dairy products were about 10 per cent less likely to be overweight.
These findings are all the more reason to grate some parmesan on your pasta which, earlier this year, a study found is not fattening.
How much cheese can we eat?
The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting cheese intake to two or three days a week and having a maximum of three serves (one serve is 40 grams or about two slices of cheese).