← DR. GUNDRY PODCAST: GUT HEALTH, WEIGHT LOSS, AND NUTRITION
DR. GUNDRY PODCAST: GUT HEALTH, WEIGHT LOSS, AND NUTRITION
Six INCREDIBLE Cheeses with Health Benefits! - Dr. G's Quick Health Tip | EP 388.B
00:18:56
Loading summary
Transcript14 lines
- [00:00]
A
If you're shopping while working, eating, or even listening to this podcast, then you know and love the thrill of a deal. But are you getting the deal and cash back? Rakuten shoppers? Do they get the brands they love? Savings and cash back and you can get it too. Start getting cash back at your favorite stores like Target, Sephora and even Expedia. Stack sales on top of cash back and feel what it's like to know you're maximizing the savings. It's easy to use and you get your cash back sent to you through PayPal or check. The idea is simple. Stores pay Rakuten for sending them shoppers and Rakuten shares the money with you as cash back. Download the free Rakuten app or go to rakuten.com to start saving today. It's the most rewarding way to shop. That's R a K u t e n rakuten.com welcome to the Dr. Gundry.
- [00:50]
B
Podcast, where Dr. Stephen Gundry shares his groundbreaking research from over 25 years of treating patients with diet and lifestyle changes alone. Dr. Gundry and other wellness experts offer inspiring stories, the latest scientific advancements, and practical tips to empower you to take control of your health and live a long, happy life.
- [01:12]
C
I know that many of you may think that all cheeses are bad for you. Well, not quite. It all comes down to the type of cow and how the cheese is made. In this episode, I'll share my top six favorite cheeses that you can safely indulge in without compromising your health. So get ready to discover some tasty options that can actually fit into your healthy lifestyle. But before we get started, make sure to subscribe to this channel or like so you get more of this coming your way. First things first, in many countries, particularly in Europe, particularly in France, Italy and Switzerland, cheeses are made from the milk of cows that produce a specific protein called A2 casein, which is far more compatible with human digestion. The milk from these A2 cows tends to be gentler on the gut than the milk from casein A1 cows, the common breed used here in the United States and also in Northern Europe like Ireland and England. This is why I don't recommend most cheeses here in America. Now, dairy farming uses the Holstein cows, which produce casein A1 because they're hardier and they give more milk. But sadly, research suggests that a 1 casein is more inflammatory, potentially leading to more digestive discomfort, bloating and other adverse health reactions in sensitive individuals. Sadly, American dairy cows are often raised with growth hormones and antibiotics, which can compromise milk quality and introduce unwanted residues into dairy products. In contrast, European regulations strictly limit or ban these practices, meaning their cheeses are often more natural and less processed. Additionally, many cheeses in both France and Italy are made from unpasteurized milk and it will say raw on the label. Now, there's very interesting studies, particularly out of Italy, showing that the pasteurization process unfortunately kills off a lot of really important bacteria that improve human health, whereas raw milks do contain those sorts of bacteria. Okay, now I'm going to be holding up these packages and they're wrapped in plastic. Plastic. And if you've watched my other videos, you know plastic is a problem. But the reason I'm showing you this is because I want you to actually look for things on the cheese. So for instance, this one is Pecorino Romano. This is made from sheep's milk, which always contains a 2 milk. Now, it's almost always aged and there is no lactose in cheese. It is gone because the bacteria, bacteria eat the lactose. Plus there's no neu5gc in aged cheeses because the bacteria have eaten the neu5gc. You should look for country of origin. Oh, my goodness. Imported from Italy. You should also look for how long it's aged. This one says naturally aged for nine months. Fun tip. The longer it's aged, the better it is for you. Now, if they have a label on the back, one of the things you want to look for is cultures. Cultures is code word for bacteria. And so we know that bacteria were added to this to make the cheese. And, and that's actually what you want. Pecorino grated over vegetables or enjoy as a small snack with Gundry approved nuts. It's really tasty. Again, the older any of these cheeses are aged, the better they are for you. And if you've read some of my books, aged cheeses are loaded with polyamines like spermidine, which have been shown to increase your health span dramatically. Next up, pretty easy to find is Manchego is the sheep cheese of Spain. Now, most cheeses from Spain are made from A one cow, sadly, but sheep cheese is always made with casein A2 because that's what sheep milk is. You also want to look how long it's aged. And this one, four months. That's kind of the bare minimum. Try to look for 612 months. There's even two year months, sadly, for good reasons. The longer it's aged, the more it costs. The other nice thing about cheeses is they have what are called milk fat globule membranes, which are really cool proteins that actually improve your health as well. Cheeses are loaded with magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. And once again, look on the back and you'll see cheese cultures. That's a sign that this is a bacterial product. Manchango is easy to eat. You can pair it with olives for a Mediterranean twist or just eat it thinly sliced as a snack. Next up, true Parmigiano Reggiano. So this is the true thing that's made in Italy. Please do not be fooled by the name Parmesan cheese. It didn't come from Italy. You've got to see Parmigiano Reggiano. Now this one is aged for 24 months. That's a fantastic thing. And one of the interesting things I learned is that true great Parmesan Reggiano used to be only allowed to be produced in the spring or the fall from cows that were eating growing grass. Now, with the popularity of Parmesan cheese, they are allowed to be fed all year round. But if you're lucky enough to know a cheesemonger, you can actually find Parmesan cheese that was made in the spring or fall. These cows are A2 producers. It's protein dense, believe it or not. There's actually 10 grams of high quality protein per ounce. They've got all nine essential amino acids. Good for your muscles. And with about 30% of your daily calcium needs in just one ounce, this cheese is beneficial for maintaining strong bones and teeth. The phosphorus contains further aids in calcium absorption and is essential for cellular function. You know how to eat Parmesan cheese. You can grate it over vegetables, you can stir it into soups and sauces. And don't waste the rind. Put it in soups and it'll give a real flavor boost. Now, before we move on, I want to go next door to France again. I'm holding this up because look, there's a French flag. This one is made from cow's milk, which are A two in France. And again, you want to look at cultures and there it is. So this is triple cream brie. If you're on a ketogenic diet where you want a high fat diet, believe it or not, do not be afraid of triple cre. Literally 70% of it is cream. What you're really looking for is it came from France, not from America. If it came from America, put it back. It doesn't contain casein A2, it contains casein A1. If it came from America, it likely was not made with active cultures. Now, these cheeses are better the longer they sit around. Most of the stores sell this very hard. You're really not going to like it very much. Take it out of this wrapper, wrap it in cheese paper or wax paper or parchment paper, put it in the refrigerator and wait till the middle gets really squishy. It'll start to be kind of a stinky cheese. And that stinkiness is actually the sign that the fermentation process is going full bore and you get all these amazing polyamines and spermidines that you're looking for.
- [10:35]
D
Want to take your health journey to the next level? Then make sure you're signed up for my free newsletter. It's where I share things you won't find anywhere else. Get access to brand new Lectin, free recipes, exclusive giveaways and research before anyone else hears about them. Plus, newsletter subscribers often get special discount codes. So if you want to stay one step ahead on your wellness journey, check the link in this episode's description or head to DrGundry.com and sign up today. That's Dr. Gundry.com. sign up for my free newsletter today.
- [11:14]
C
Okay, let's go over to Holland. The famous cheeses in Holland, like Gouda, are unfortunately made with casein A1 cows. However, we're rapidly finding goat gouda and even goat cheddar which is a 2 milk. Now the nice thing about these guys, both sheep and goats, their fats contain a lot of medium chain triglycerides MCTS. In fact, about 30% of the fat in goat and sheep milk are MCTS. Now studies suggest that medium chain fatty acids and go goat cheese can actually help manage cholesterol levels by reducing the bad LDL and increasing the good HDL cholesterol. This can actually lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Once again, it's easier to digest than cow's milk and goat cheese may have anti inflammatory effects that can be beneficial for conditions like arthritis and other inflammatory disorders. Also look for how long it's age. This one is eight months. Again, the longer it's aging, the more the benefit. It just means more pricey. Finally, head over to Switzerland. Now most of the cows in Switzerland are a 2. The two most common that you're going to find in most stores is Guy and Compte. Now these are fermented cheeses and in most cases it will show it right on the package. In fact, there it is, cheese culture and you will see that surprise surprise, it's from Switzerland. Once again, the longer their Age, the better they are for you. But these are fermented foods. So fermented dairy products like cheese contain probiotics, but that's not the important thing. They contain postbiotics, which are the products of the bacteria eating the sugars in cheese. So these are the active things that you're actually looking for for heart health. The probiotics are not the important thing. It's the postbiotics in cheese that's the real benefit. These guys are easy to find and like I say, they're in most stores. Try them. I think you'll like them. They both have really a nutty flavor that is really good. Finally, one thing that's interesting about cheeses that was discovered by Weston Price back in the 1930s and 40s, he discovered a compound that he called Factor X or Vitamin X that he found only in cheeses that he described as essential for bone density and heart health. And it wasn't until very recently that Factor X was actually vitamin K2. And so one of the great benefits of cheeses is that they are a great source of vitamin K2. Vitamin K2 I prescribe as a supplement to all my patients and I even have it as a product at Gundry MD because it helps vitamin D take calcium and put it in your bones where it belongs, rather than in your blood vessels. So cheese can have a lot of benefits, even though you think it's bad for you. Some of the longest living people in the world live on these cheese products and live well. So I often get questions from patients or online. How much cheese can I have? I have seen people and I used to do a diagram in my office where I showed them a one by one inch piece of cheese which has anywhere from 120 to 150 calories in that one inch piece of cheese. I then bring out a five bags of romaine lettuce from Trader Joe's, which just so happened to have 150 calories. And I say, how many bags of romaine lettuce do you think you can possibly eat before you get too full to eat another bite? I'd done this myself. I got through two and a half bags of lettuce before I had to quit because I was too full. Now, in the interest of science, I was able to eat 101 inch pieces of cheese without feeling full. And when I have patients who tell me they don't eat very much, oftentimes when I actually make them break down, cheese, sadly is one of their guilty pleasures. A little cheese goes a long way. Number two, the important thing about these cultures in cheese, the bacteria will eat that very inflammatory sugar molecule that's in all milk products called Neu 5 GC. And the cool thing is the bacteria will rid the cheese of neu5gc. And this has been shown in studies looking at neu5gc content. Finally, Parmesan cheese. There is an interesting study in Italy that men who eat Parmesan cheese have much better vascular health than men who don't eat Parmesan cheese. Finally, there are some people who absolutely raise their LDL and total cholesterol eating cheese. But I hope by now most people realize that the cholesterol theory of heart disease is slowly dying a painful death. Inflammation is the cause of heart disease. Cheeses reduce inflammation and reduce oxidative stress. So I tell my patients in my practice, I don't really care about your cholesterol. I want to know whether you're oxidizing your cholesterol, and I want to know if there's inflammation on your blood vessels. And surprisingly, my cheese eaters don't have oxidized LDL and they don't have inflammation on their blood vessels. And that explains why some of the healthiest people in the world are cheese and yogurt eaters. Just to be clear, a cheese food product is not a cheese. And most of what we're peddled in the United States is a cheese food product. What I'm talking about is that cheeses that were made in a traditional way with active cultures and most of them will show you on the back the word cheese cultures or cultures, that's what you're looking for.
- [18:49]
E
Pluto TV has thousands of free movies and TV shows. This is the mindset.
- [18:55]
C
Free.
- [18:55]
E
This is the mantra.
- [18:57]
C
Free.
- [18:57]
E
This is the mindset. With movies like Joe dirt, pixels and 51st date, this is awesome. And TV shows like Survivor, SpongeBob SquarePants, the Fairly Odd Parents and Ghosts, Pluto TV is always free.
- [19:13]
C
Huzzah.
- [19:15]
E
Pluto TV stream now pay.
- [19:17]
C
Never. You're welcome.
- [19:21]
B
I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Dr. Gundry podcast. If you did, please share this with family and friends. You never know how one of these health tips can completely transform someone's life when you take the time to share it with them. There's also the Dr. Gundry Podcast YouTube channel where we have tens of thousands of free health insights that can help you and your loved ones live a long, vital life. Let's do this together.