Cottage cheese, a relatively underexplored cultured dairy product with potential health benefits?

Abstract

Cottage cheese (CC) is a member of the "fresh cheese" family of cheeses and is widely consumed due to its culinary versatility and some perceived health benefits. However, the evidence of direct health effects of CC is not well established. This review describes the production and nutritional characteristics of CC, before exploring the evidence of health effects from human intervention, in vitro, and in vivo models. Despite widespread consumption and advocated health benefits, there is a dearth of evidence pertaining to the health effects of CC from high-quality human randomized controlled trials. To date, a limited number of human intervention models with CC have explored nutrient bioavailability, metabolic health, and appetite regulation, in small, niche study populations. Findings with in vitro and in vivo models suggest that CC may be an efficacious vehicle for bioactive compounds. In conclusion, CC is a cultured dairy product that could impose a myriad of benefits across health outcomes including cardiometabolic, gastrointestinal, body composition, appetite regulation, and nutrient status. However, there is a need for high-quality human randomized controlled trials to develop a substantiated evidence base relating to the full potential of CC in human health.