The impact of traditional cheeses and whey on health

Abstract

In the modern world proper nutrition is becoming an issue of great importance and more and more effort and means are being channelled into finding a solution to it. Scientific researches in the field of nutrition have shown that high quality foods are not sufficiently present in our diet. The insufficient intake of milk and dairy products leads to protein, calcium, vitamin A and vitamin D deficiency, and thus leads to the development of various diseases and disorders. While in the past milk was considered a complete food that satisfies many nutritive needs in humans, today we can speak about yet another role of dairy products. They are believed to have a preventive role in the development of various diseases. Functional foods are becoming increasingly popular among consumers due to rising consumer health awareness. By introducing functional foods into our standard diet, many nutritional deficiencies in human organisms can be remedied. In today’s food market of functional foods, milk and dairy products are mostly present. Traditional cheeses and whey have high nutritive and health benefits. This paper deals with the nutritive benefits of traditional cheeses and whey, as well as their positive impact on human health. Products like traditional cheeses and whey are, due to their ideal ratio of nutrients, superior to other foods, while the new technological developments and enlarged assortment of foods enriched with high-quality proteins or with reduced levels of fat have made them irreplaceable in the modern diet.