When I visited my grandmother as a child she used to say to me at the table:

“Why don’t you eat cheese?” or “Eat cheese to grow up.” Of course she meant

Feta cheese. It made sense that she kept asking me, as this cheese would never be missed from the family table. Filling in

the village salad (which without the feta resembles a simple cucumber tomato) or

accompanying grandma’s favorite foods. Even on days without

food, the meal consisted of bread, tomato, olives and feta. Did

my grandmother know about the nutritional value of feta and how much it promotes health or did she just show signs of the so-called “Occupation Syndrome”?

Feta is the main dairy product. The most well-known nutrient

it contains is Calcium (Ca). According to Mednutrition, calcium

is a metal that contributes to the healthy structure and growth of bones and bones

teeth. Basic parameter of bone growth is bone mass and bone

density. Bone mass increases rapidly during childhood and

adolescence in parallel with the general development of the individual and continues,

at a slower pace, until the third decade of life. Bone density

is directly related to the deposition of calcium in the bones. This is how it’s done

perceived the necessity of consuming dairy products mainly by children and

teenagers. Children need to consume sufficient amounts

dairy products such as milk, yogurt and of course cheese.

After the third decade of life, bone density tends to decline

depending on age. Another factor that causes a significant reduction

of bone mass is menopause, through disturbed deposition

of calcium in the bones. Advanced bone loss is associated with

conditions of osteopenia (“poor” bone mass) and osteoporosis which

can manifest with bone fractures, mainly in the hip area.

Proper nutrition along with exercise prevent, to some extent

bone loss. For this reason, it is necessary to continue it

dairy consumption even in adulthood.

Let us now turn to another important nutrient it contains

the feta. Protein is necessary for the creation, but also for

maintaining muscle mass. Similar to bone, muscle mass shows

maximum growth rates in childhood and adolescence. Rich in

Protein foods are meat, eggs and dairy products.

However, according to the pyramid of the Mediterranean diet quoted by

American Agriculture Organization (USDA), dairy recommended to

consumed on a daily basis versus weekly (egg, poultry) or

monthly (red meat) base. To better understand the necessity

daily protein intake one can observe the figure with

the “Food Dish”. The Food Dish, published by the USDA in 2011,

is a stylized summary of a varied and balanced

nutritional standard. Just like the Pyramid of the Mediterranean Diet in

a simplified version.

It is worth noting at this point that feta, like most dairy products, contains lactose. The superiority of feta over milk, however, lies in the fact that feta has lower lactose levels due to the fermentation it has undergone. Therefore, its consumption is indicated in people with mild intolerance.

In addition, dairy products are superior to meat in terms of the type of saturated fat they contain. It is known that the consumption of saturated fat is a factor responsible for the risk of cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes mellitus (SD II) and hypertension. Therefore, replacing some of the meat intake with milk, cheese or yogurt appears to be associated with a reduced cardiovascular risk.

I find it interesting, and that’s why I left it for the end, that the consumption of dairy products seems to be associated with better control of body weight, as in the case of trying to lose weight.

Sure, my grandmother, after all, may not have known why feta is nutritious, but she knew it was nutritious. That’s why, after all, she constantly offered it to me at every meal. But how else could she do if feta is a food deeply identified with the Greek tradition? This is also distinguished by the fact that when we say in our daily life “it also has cheese on the table” we mean feta.