Foreword:
- Cheese sure spells and tasts good but be still cautious!
One thing that is very crucial to know is that every kind of cheese contains high values of fat, namely saturated fat, which is a dangerous fat for the human body since it increases the bad cholesterol (that in turn leads to cardiovascular diseases) and can block of heart arteries (which in turn leads to heart-attack due to an increase risk for blood clots).
If we were to summarize the topic of cheese consumption, before moving on, we would notice that cheese has much more positive nutritions than negative ones. However it is worthy to point out that it is very important to know how to consume it. For instance, when one eats breakfast one should bear in mind the fact that comsuming a lot of sandwiches or a lot of cheese on each can be very bad for the health. On the other hand one certainly knows that breakfast is the most important meal since the body, which hasn’t got any food (and most importantly water) during the entire night, must therefore its “fuel” (food) in order to be able to become mobile effectively.
So what is the solution to avoid taking to much saturated fat? There are two contradictory situations. How would it feel to know that eating cheese is possible, even though these negative ingredients are included, without risking to get heart cardiovascular diseases and therefore heart-attack?
I would have one candidate in mind (to solve this issue) and that is a very bright physician, however miraculousely this doesn’t regard a doctor who revealed the solution. The amazing solution to this problem was given to mankind for over 1500 years ago by a holy man – the holy Prophet Mohammed(peace be upon him & his infallible offspring, Ahlulbayt).
Cheese & Walnuts:
There a various ahadith (narrations) from the Holy Prophet Mohammed(Peace be upon him & his household) stating that one has to eat walnuts along with cheese. (1)
The interesting part is the reason lying behind this. Miraculousely, one notices that the relation between cheese and walnuts is symbolically the same as the relation between fire and water. Just as water extinguishes fire some substances in walnuts result in the elimination of the negative effects arised from the saturated fat in cheese.
Walnuts contains proteins, some vitamins and minerals. Among vitamins there are alpha-tocopherol, an E-vitamin, which plays an anti-oxidant role where it reduces the risk for cardiovascular diseases by emphasizing its efforts on the body’s immune system. Moreover, there are essential components, such as healthy fat (which we will cover later), contained in walnuts and that some other act as anti-oxidants. Among the acids, contained in walnuts, there are ellagic acids that are active anti-oxidants. About 4% of walnuts’ thin membrane (covering the nucleus of walnuts) are made of allegic acids (Jurd, 1956). (2)
Even though walnuts do not act in the same way as effective proteins they as a completement to the protein content in foods, such as after having consuming food with a typical lack of the lysin amino-acid, which exists in cereals. Walnuts have also other nutritions, such as copper, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and vitamin B6. Besides there ones the natrium content in walnuts pretty low (10mg/100g), which is good. If the natrium content would be high then this would result in the acquisition of a high blood pressure and water retention (in tissues) that can lead to swelling in the leg and feet (3).
Walnuts are rich in fat, namely 68g of lipid per 100g. However, these fatty acids are foremost unsaturated (healthy) fat (70%) and mono-unsaturated fat (18%). Among these large fatty acids are the linolenic (12%) and linoleic (58%) fatty acids those that have been studied due to its healthy role in the human body. The high values of linoleic and linolenic acid contents in walnuts have shown to decrease the risk of heart attack by shrinking the total and the LDL(bad)-cholesterol, as well as by increasing the HDL(good)-cholesterol. (4) These studies (British Journal of Nutrition (2008), 99, 715-722 Copyright 2007) performed on this healthy lipid profile, which is present in walnuts, still confirms the anti-atherogenic effects (eliminate the odds for an accumulation of lipids in arteries) as earlier studies have shown. (5) Linolenic acid is related to omega-3 fatty acids that is found in fish oils and is therefore transformed to omega-3 in the human system. Many other studies have shown that the consumption of omega-3 decreases the cholesterol values in the blood more than the consumption of grain and sunflower oil. (6)
In addition to walnut’s antiatherogenic effects ellagic acids play a major role in inducing the mineralization of osteoblasts (bone cells), which is an incredible sign of walnut’s protective role against bone-ruining either by reducing the bone degradation or increasing the osteoblastic activity and bone formation (7).
Thus, walnuts contain omega-6 (28 / 100 g) and omega-3 fatty acids (5.5 / 100 g). (8)
Since omega-3 is responsible for the formation of hormones that control the body’s immune system, blood coagulation, cell growth and components of our cell membranes, they are an adequate and clear proof for its important role in the body. (9)
One of walnut’s omega-6 functions is to normalize the amount of cholesterol production in the liver.
The body also produces hormones from omega-6. The most important thing regarding omega-3 and -6 are the fact that the hormones that are produced, from each of these two categories, have opposite effects. The hormones derived from omega-6 fatty acids appear to increase inflammation (a whitish component of the immune system protection), blood coagulation and cell proliferation, while those who are derived from omega-3 fatty acids reduce these functions. Both hormone families must be in balance to maintain optimal health. To understand this, one could compare this with the various positive stimulating factors leading to increased cell number in the body and others who work depressant that kills and reduces the body’s cell number. These together lead to the body’s cell number kept almost constant, balanced and most importantly healthy.
So far we have only mentioned the main reasons why walnuts should be consumed. On the other hand, you already have realized that the unhealthy saturated fat in cheese and polyunsaturated fat in walnuts working in the opposite direction. As previously stated, the saturated fat raises bad cholesterol (leading to cardiovascular diseases) and can block the coronary artery (i.e. leading to heart attacks due to an increased risk of thrombosis), while polyunsaturated fat (including ellagiska acid) leads to a reduced risk for cardiovascular by reducing the total and LDL (bad) cholesterol and by increasing HDL (good) cholesterol. Furthermore, these beneficial oils combat bone degradation where they induce bone formation and simultaneously slows bone resorption. The last and very crucial fact concerning saturated fat, not mentioned yet, is its negative role in bone formation. Unfortunately, several medical studies have shown that saturated fats (found in cheese, among others) can damage the bone health through a change in the bone calcium absorption, the production of prostaglandins, osteoblast formation and lipidoxidation. (10)
Therefore, evert time cheese is consumed one has to supplement walnuts to it in order to avoid the effects of unhealthy saturated fat on the body.
One thing one must not forget, regarding ‘salty’ cheese (such as some white cheese) is to put them in a container of cool-tempered already boiled water to reduce its saltiness (where it ends up in the water) before consuming it. The reason why one shouldn’t eat to much salty food is to avoid getting high blood pressure; especially among adults over 30-35 years old.
Sobhan Allah (God be praised!); what a Knowledge! Our one and only Lord surely gave an amazing knowledge to our Holy Prophet Mohammed (S), yet this is still one of the infinite number of signs for humanity to his infallibility.
Källor:
1 – Makarim al akhlaq part 1, p.411; Teb al imam al sadiq (AS), p.310 & in al-Kafi part 6, p.340.
2 – Jurd L (1956) Plant polyphenols. I. The polyphenolic constituents of the pellicle of the walnut (Juglans regia). J. Am Chem Soc 78, p.3445–3448.
3 – http://www.goodlowsodiumfoods.com/
5 –
– Almario RU, Vonghavaravat V, Wong R & Kasim-Karakas SE (2001) Effects of walnut consumption on plasma fatty acids and
lipoproteins in combined hyperlipidemia. Am J Clin Nutr 74, p.72–79.
– Zambon D, Sabate J, Munoz S, Campero B, Casals E, Merlos M, Laguna JC & Ros E (2000) Substituting walnuts for monounsaturated fat improves the serum lipid profile of hypercholesterolemic men and women. A randomized crossover trial. Ann Intern Med 132, p.538–546.
– Ros E, Nunez I, Perez-Heras A, Serra M, Gilabert R, Casals E & Deulofeu R (2004) A walnut diet improves endothelial function in hypercholesterolemic subjects: a randomized crossover trial. Circulation 109, p.1609–1614.
6 – http://www.allbusiness.com/manufacturing/food-manufacturing/357806-1.html
7 – see source 4.
8 – http://www.annecollins.com/dietary-fat/omega-3-efa-6-chart.htm
9 – http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400149/balancing-omega-3-and-omega-6.html
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