Is Cottage Cheese Bad for High Cholesterol? (Expert Answer)

Short Answer: Cottage cheese is good for high cholesterol. Because it has protein, calcium, and phosphorus and they can lower LDL cholesterol, prevent bone loss, and regulate blood pressure.

High cholesterol is a condition that affects your blood vessels and heart.

In high cholesterol, your body has too much of a waxy substance called cholesterol in your blood.

This can lead to various health problems, such as atherosclerosis, heart attack, and stroke.

One of the key factors in managing high cholesterol is diet.

What you consume can affect your cholesterol levels, which can impact your high cholesterol symptoms and overall health.

To effectively manage high cholesterol, you should consume unsaturated fat rich foods like olive oil, avocados, and nuts and avoid saturated fat and trans fat rich foods like butter, cheese, and fried foods.

Now, cottage cheese is a fresh cheese made from curdled milk and cream.

People usually eat it as a snack, breakfast, or ingredient in salads, dips, and desserts.

Cottage cheese is good for high cholesterol because it contains protein, calcium, and phosphorus.

Protein can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol.

Calcium and phosphorus can help prevent bone loss and regulate blood pressure.

One cup of low-fat (2%) cottage cheese can give you 28 grams of protein (56% of your daily needs), 187 milligrams of calcium (19% of your daily needs), and 303 milligrams of phosphorus (30% of your daily needs).

Protein can positively affect high cholesterol by reducing the absorption of cholesterol from the intestines and increasing the clearance of cholesterol from the liver.

Calcium and phosphorus can positively affect high cholesterol by maintaining healthy bones and teeth and supporting normal nerve and muscle function.

Furthermore, cottage cheese is a dairy product and dairy products are good for high cholesterol.

Because, they contain probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria that can lower cholesterol and improve gut health.

You can eat one cup of cottage cheese per day safely.

More than that can cause bloating, gas, and diarrhea.

Also, you shouldn’t eat cottage cheese if you have lactose intolerance or a milk allergy to prevent digestive issues and allergic reactions.

Because, cottage cheese contains lactose and milk proteins, which can trigger these conditions.

You can buy fresh cottage cheese in your local market or can order it from online.

Always choose cottage cheese that has a low fat content, a short ingredient list, and a good expiration date.

Because, these factors can affect the quality, taste, and shelf life of cottage cheese.

You can store cottage cheese in the refrigerator for up to 10 days after opening.

Finally, remember, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet, regular exercise, stress management and essential medical care is key to managing high cholesterol effectively.

I always recommend my high cholesterol patients to follow a high cholesterol-friendly diet to improve their overall well-being, and enjoy a longer and healthier life.

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About the Author

Abdur Rahman Choudhury

Abdur Rahman Choudhury is a nutritionist in West Bengal, India, with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Biochemistry.

He has done his diploma in nutrition from Fabulous Body Inc (US), and completed various certification courses from several universities. He also has considerable research experience in PCOS.

Abdur currently lives in India and keeps fit by weight training and eating mainly home-cooked meals.

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