9 Amazing Benefits Of Mozzarella Cheese
Mozzarella cheese is a popular cheese variant known for its great taste and texture.
It melts very easily and is often added to various dishes to make them cheesy and delicious.
Mozzarella cheese is made by treating cow or buffalo milk with rennet enzyme.
Milk is turned to curd, and the heating and stretching process give it a bouncy consistency.
As mozzarella cheese has high saturated fats and is added to junk foods such as pizzas and burgers, it is often considered as bad cheese.
However, moderate consumption of mozzarella cheese is not bad as it provides many nutrients and provides several benefits to our health.
Health Benefits of Mozzarella Cheese
Some major health benefits of mozzarella cheese are as follows.
(1) Good Source of Vitamin B-7 ( Biotin)
Vitamin B-7 or Biotin in mozzarella cheese performs many important functions in our body such as
- Metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and protein
- Maintaining healthy pregnancy
- Keeping our nails, hair, and skin Healthy
- Lowering blood glucose level
- Controlling neuropathy
- Aids in the treatment of multiple sclerosis
Vitamin B-7 is water-soluble and excess biotin is not stored by our liver but gets depleted from the body through urination.
Biotin is an essential trace mineral, and lack of it may cause biotin deficiency with symptoms such as depression, lethargy, hallucinations, numbness and tingling in hands and feet, hair loss, poor control of bodily functions, weak immune system, and increased risk of microbial infections.
(2) Good Source of Niacin( Vitamin B3)
Vitamin B-3 or Niacin in mozzarella cheese help our body perform various functions such as
- Converts carbohydrates to glucose
- Metabolize fats and protein
- Ensure proper functioning of our nervous system
- Improve blood circulation
- Manages cholesterol level
- Production of sex hormones and stress-related hormones
Being a water-soluble vitamin, Vitamin B-3 or niacin is not stored by our body and excess niacin gets depleted from the body through urination.
Niacin deficiency is known as pellagra and gives rise to symptoms such as
- Skin pigmentation and skin rashes when exposed to sunlight
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Swollen mouth and bright red tongue
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Memory loss
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Source-Pixnio.com
(3) Contains Riboflavin(Vitamin B-2)
Mozzarella cheese contains vitamin B-2 or Riboflavin that help our body perform many important functions such as
- Energy production by the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and protein
- Allows efficient utilization of oxygen by the body
- For the development and functioning of the skin, the lining of the digestive tract, blood vessels, and other vital organs
- Keeps Eyes, nerves, muscles, and skin healthy
- Absorption and activation of other essential nutrients such as iron, folic acid, and other B vitamins such as vitamin B1, vitamin B3, and vitamin B6
- Keeping liver healthy
Excess riboflavin or vitamin B-2 is not stored in our body but gets depleted by our body through urine.
Vitamin B-2 deficiency may cause skin problems, hyperemia, and edema of the mouth and throat, lesions at mouth corners, hair loss, itchy eyes, sore throat, degeneration of the liver and nervous system.
Mozzarella cheese help in maintaining vitamin B-2 levels.
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(4) Good Source of Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Mozzarella cheese is also a good source of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin D, and vitamin E. Our body needs these vitamins to perform many biochemical activities, and they keep us healthy in the following ways.
- Vitamin A- Vitamin A is an essential nutrient for our eyes as it improves vision, prevents eye dryness, and reduces the risk of night blindness. It also provides other benefits such as keeping vital organs like the liver, kidneys, lungs, and heart healthy. Not getting enough vitamin A may cause night-blindness, skin dryness, infertility, trouble conceiving, and poor wound healing.
- Vitamin D- Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that strengthens bones by increasing calcium and phosphate absorption in our bodies. They also provide other benefits like regulating blood pressure, reducing the risk of cancers and auto-immune diseases, strengthening the immune system, and keeping muscles and joints healthy. Vitamin D deficiency may cause cardiovascular problems, hypertension, increased risk of cancers such as colon cancer, prostate cancer, and breast cancer, and multiple sclerosis.
- Vitamin E– Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that protects our cells from free radical damage and reduces the risk of cancer. It also performs other functions such as managing diabetes, regulating blood pressure, improving cardiovascular health, preventing chest pain, and reduced the risk of atherosclerosis. Vitamin E deficiency may cause damage to nerves and muscles, loss of body movement control, poor immunity, muscle weakness, and vision problems, etc.
Excess fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin D, and vitamin E are not depleted by our body but get stored in the liver.
Excessive vitamin accumulation may cause health problems, and maintaining an optimal level of these vitamins is important for health.
(5) Contains Phosphorus
Mozzarella cheese contains phosphorus, a trace mineral that helps with the following functions.
- Strengthen Bones And teeth
- Help Muscle Contraction
- Aids In Muscle Recovery After Excercise
- Removal of Waste From Kidneys
- Synthesis of DNA and RNA
- Maintains Body’s Energy Storage and Usage
Phosphorus works with calcium to strengthen bones and teeth.
About 85 percent of the total phosphorus in our body is stored in bones and teeth.
Phosphorus deficiency may cause loss of appetite, anxiety, bone pain, fragile bones, joints pain, fatigue, irregular breathing, irritability, numbness, and poor growth of bones and teeth ( in children).
(6) Strengthen Bones And Teeth
Calcium in mozzarella cheese strengthens our bones and teeth.
Calcium is an essential mineral for the growth and development of bones, and lack of it may increase the risk of bone disorders such as osteoporosis.
Calcium provides many other benefits such as protecting heart muscles, reducing the risk of colon cancer, regulating blood sugar, and controlling high blood pressure, etc.
Potassium and phosphorus in mozzarella cheese also play a significant role in improving bone health.
Vitamin D in mozzarella cheese increases the absorption of calcium and phosphate and promotes bone health.
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(7) Good Source Of Protein
Protein in mozzarella cheese helps with various functions in our body such as.
- Growth and development of body
- Causes biochemical reactions
- Acts as a messenger protein
- Maintains fluid balance
- Strengthens immune system
- Aids in transportation and storage of nutrients
- For Providing strength and stamina to the body
- For boosting our energy level
Protein deficiency increases the risk of Edema, fatty liver, poor skin, hair, and nail health, loss of muscle mass, increased risk of bone fracture, and weak immune system.
(8) Contains Zinc
Mozzarella cheese contains zinc, an essential trace mineral that promotes immune health and provides many other benefits such as
- Increases White Blood Cells And Strengthens Immune System
- Helps with metabolism
- Quick healing of the wounds
- Enhances sense of taste and smell
- Decreased risk of age-related macular degeneration
- For growth and development
- Protein synthesis
Not getting enough zinc leads to loss of appetite, poor immune system, hair loss, diarrhea, delayed sexual maturation, impotence, hypogonadism in males, and skin and eye lesions.
(9) Contains Potassium
Potassium in mozzarella cheese is a natural vasodilator that relaxes blood vessels, improves blood circulation, and provides relief from hypertension or high blood pressure, a leading cause of cardiovascular problems.
Potassium provides many other benefits such as
- Regulates fluid balance
- Improves nerve functioning
- Regulates contraction of muscles and heart
- May Regulates blood pressure
- May Reduces risk of stroke
- May prevents kidney stones
- Maintains electrolyte balance
- Counteracts the damage caused by excess sodium in our body
- Reduces water retention
Potassium deficiency or hypokalemia may cause symptoms like constipation, palpitations, fatigue, muscle damage, muscle weakness, muscle cramps and spasms, tingling and numbness, weak digestive system, and breathing difficulties.
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The “Infamous ” Saturated Fat
Mozzarella cheese is a good source of essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals, but it is also loaded with saturated fat.
Excessive saturated fats increase LDL cholesterol in our bodies and increase the risk of atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis is a condition that hardens and narrows our arteries due to the accumulation of plaque and fat deposits in arterial walls.
It is a leading cause of cardiovascular problems such as heart attack, heart stroke, and coronary artery disease.
However, the problem arises from excessive consumption of saturated fats. At a moderate level, saturated fat provide many benefits like
- Provides stiffness and integrity to cell membranes.
- Plays a vital role in managing our bone health as it facilitates the effective incorporation of calcium in the skeletal structure.
- Protects our liver from alcohol and other toxins such a Tylenol ( a non-aspirin pain killer).
- Strengthens the immune system.
- Provides antimicrobial benefits and protects our digestive tract from harmful microbes.
Points To Remember
- Moderate intake of mozzarella cheese is the perfect choice for people looking for low fat and low sodium cheese variant.
- If you are on any medication, consult your doctor before eating mozzarella cheese to ensure there is no food-drug interference risk.
- If you are to go under a knife, stop eating mozzarella cheese two weeks before surgery and up to two weeks after surgery.
- Similarly, pregnant and lactating women should also consult with their doctor before adding mozzarella cheese to their diet.
Disclaimer
The information contained in the post is for general purposes only and shouldn’t be considered as medical advice or as an alternative to medical advice. Although I’ve tried my best to keep the information contained in this post as accurate and updated as possible, I make no guarantee of the accurateness of the same.
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