Is Cottage Cheese Good for Gut Health? A Dietitian’s Take

Except for boosting your protein consumption for the day, cottage cheese additionally presents different vitamins value speaking about, like calcium, B nutritional vitamins, and phosphorus which assist bone, cell, and metabolic well being, per the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). However is cottage cheese good for intestine well being? Here is what our specialists needed to say. (Trace: It is excellent news.)

Is cottage cheese really good for intestine well being?

When requested whether or not or not cottage cheese is useful for intestine well being, a gastroenterologist and two registered dietitians all agreed that the fashionable cheese is a great selection, relying on the range.

“Cottage cheese will be good for intestine well being as a result of it’s typically thought-about to be a fermented dairy product, much like yogurt,” says Wendi LeBrett, MD, gastroenterologist and educator. Nevertheless, not all cottage cheese is created equal in terms of intestine well being advantages. That is as a result of some manufacturers will not be cultured or fermented. “Cottage cheese that’s cultured (FYI, search for labels that say ‘comprises reside and energetic cultures’) is a superb selection for supporting intestine well being because it comprises reside micro organism, also called probiotics,” provides Russell-Murray.

Associated Tales

Probiotics are a cornerstone of gut-healthy consuming as they assist domesticate populations of beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome— a colony of over a trillion microorganisms largely residing within the colon. This bacterial neighborhood helps general intestine well being by rising digestive regularity and lowering gasoline, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation signs. Nevertheless, analysis can also be discovering it to be more and more influential throughout the entire physique, akin to supporting immune, heart, and even brain well being (simply to call a number of).

Plus, evidence-based analysis helps the notion that fermented dairy can positively impression the intestine microbiome. For instance, a 2020 systematic review of a number of research revealed in Gut Microbes discovered that consuming milk, yogurt, and kefir elevated two helpful micro organism strains in three separate research. In the meantime, a 2023 review in Food Research International discovered that consuming natural dairy might assist regulate intestine irritation.

How a lot do you want?

We have discovered that cottage cheese may also help your intestine, and that is all properly and good (no pun meant). However how a lot cottage cheese must you eat per day to reap these advantages?

Presently, there’s no official advice for fermented meals or cultured dairy consumption from the U.S. Division of Agriculture, the group that is accountable for releasing the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans each 5 years. Nevertheless, our specialists provided steerage.

“Research reveals that a reasonably large and constant amount of fermented meals must be consumed to make a major impression on intestine well being,” says Russell-Murray. The examine Russell-Murray is referencing discovered that people consuming someplace between 4 and 6 servings of fermented meals per day considerably elevated microbiota range and decreased bodily irritation.

“That being stated, much less frequent consumption can nonetheless have optimistic outcomes,” says Russell-Murray. “Usually, I encourage common consumption of all fermented meals as tasty choices that will assist intestine well being.”

Fortunately, common consumption can look totally different relying on particular person wants and preferences. “Goal to have three to 5 servings of probiotic-rich meals per week; this will embrace cottage cheese, yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, and miso,” provides Dr. LeBrett. Whereas Amy Davis, RDN, a registered dietitian at Amy Davis Nutrition means that “about half to at least one cup of probiotic-rich cottage cheese every day can present intestine well being advantages, although particular person wants range.” Nevertheless, to find out how a lot is best for you, attain out to your personal healthcare crew and work with a registered dietitian for individualized suggestions.

Are there any potential negative effects?

Whereas cottage cheese may also help heal your intestine, sadly, not everybody can tolerate it. In a 2020 study revealed in Nutrients, researchers found that whereas a high-dairy food regimen of over 4 parts per day extra positively influenced intestine microbes than a low-dairy food regimen of lower than one serving per day, individuals who ate a food regimen wealthy in dairy reported extra instances of constipation. Herein lies one of many largest issues surrounding cottage cheese consumption.

“One consideration to remember is {that a} large portion of the population is at least mildly lactose intolerant and should not tolerate massive portions of lactose properly,” says Russell-Murray. For reference, lactose intolerance makes it tough to digest lactose—a sort of sugar that is generally present in dairy merchandise. Symptoms of lactose intolerance might be as gentle gasoline and bloating or as inconvenient as diarrhea and constipation.

“Some manufacturers of cottage cheese additionally comprise gums, thickeners, or carrageenan that will negatively impression intestine well being by inflicting irritation or disrupting the intestine barrier, however extra analysis is required to substantiate the long-term results of those components,” Davis provides.

Cottage cheese with probiotics can also not be the best-fermented meals selection for you should you merely don’t just like the style. On this case, go for different fermented meals choices like yogurt, kimchi, kefir, miso, tempeh, kombucha, buttermilk, sauerkraut, or sure kinds of pickles to enhance your biome’s well being.

8 methods to get pleasure from cottage cheese

If you happen to can tolerate dairy, benefit from the style of cottage cheese, and are on the lookout for new and inventive methods to make use of it at house, we have now some scrumptious concepts. Contemplate the next:

Soups

If you happen to’re a creamy soup lover, attempt substituting half-and-half, heavy cream, or bitter cream in your recipes with cultured cottage cheese. “Including a dollop of cottage cheese to soups makes for a creamy enhance of probiotics,” says Davis. It additionally doubles as the right tangy soup garnish.

Smoothies

Sneaking cottage cheese into your morning or post-workout smoothie is a incredible strategy to maximize the vitamin of this already nourishing beverage. “Mixing it into smoothies makes for an amazing fast and simple excessive protein snack,” Russell-Murray says.

Blended with toppings

“I like mixing cottage cheese because it helps with the feel; I get pleasure from mine with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of walnuts,” says Dr. LeBrett. You could possibly additionally high blended cottage cheese with chili crisp, diced veggies, or leftover tomato sauce for a savory deal with. These recipes can simply be changed into parfaits for a filling snack as a result of “cottage cheese is a superb base for candy or savory parfaits,” Davis assures.

Scrambled eggs

Whereas eggs are already a protein go-to for a lot of, you possibly can up your beneficial properties much more—and get the intestine well being advantages of probiotics—by mixing cottage cheese into your morning scramble. “I wrestle with the feel of cottage cheese so I choose to combine or mix it into meals objects like scrambled eggs,” shares Russell-Murray.

Pancakes

Even pancakes can profit from the addition of cottage cheese with probiotics. “I like to make cottage cheese pancakes to spice up the protein content material of my breakfast,” Dr. LeBrett says. If the feel of cottage cheese curds doesn’t trouble you, add a spoonful or two proper to your batter. And if it does, merely mix all of your components collectively.

Dips

Davis typically turns to cottage cheese for an alternate dip choice. “It may be blended with recent herbs, garlic, onion, and thyme for a high-protein ranch dip,” she says. This preparation is nothing in need of *chef’s kiss* when paired together with your favourite chips, crackers, or crudité veggies.

In a single day oats

In a single day oats are a straightforward and engaging make-ahead breakfast choice when you could run out the door within the morning. And it simply so occurs to profit from the addition of our beloved cottage cheese. “I typically add blended cottage cheese to my in a single day oats,” explains Dr. LeBrett.

Creamy tomato sauce

Cottage cheese also can provide help to forgo the addition of half-and-half, heavy cream, mascarpone, and even bitter cream in tomato sauce recipes. “Mixing it into tomato sauce makes for a wealthy and creamy blush sauce,” says Russell-Murray.

The Remaining Takeaway

When it comes right down to it, cottage cheese could be a good selection for intestine well being, relying on the range you select. “To make sure you’re getting intestine health-supporting probiotics out of your cottage cheese, search for ‘reside and energetic cultures’ on the label,” Davis reiterates. It is only a bonus that so many scrumptious recipes will be made with this inexpensive and accessible dairy product.

Nevertheless, it’s essential to not solely give attention to cottage cheese and different probiotic-containing meals when trying to enhance intestine well being. “It’s vital to stability cottage cheese with a food regimen wealthy in plant-based fiber and prebiotics, discovered fruit, vegetable, beans, nuts and seeds,” says Dr. LeBrett.

Fiber and prebiotics (a sort of fiber) feed the wholesome micro organism already current in your intestine microbiome (and any you introduce by way of probiotics), enabling the system to thrive as a complete. Moreover, brilliantly-colored fruits and veggies, in addition to different antioxidant-rich meals like legumes, nuts, and seeds, assist reduce inflammation all through the physique and microbiome, making them good gut-friendly meals selections as properly.