When you go vegan, or plant based as some are calling it now one of the things that people always say they are going to miss is cheese.
We’re not at all joking. If you were to take a pole, we are quite sure that it would pop up number one, right along with people asking you once you do go vegan ‘where do you get your protein?’
Let’s face it, people love their cheese, no question about it.
And when people are adopting vegan cheese over the bovine version, they all generally tend to have a few questions associated with it which we will answer here below.
Enjoy!
Does Vegan Cheese Contain Cholesterol?
No, cholesterol is only found in animal products, it is not found in plant products. Vegan products such as vegan cheese contain no animal products and so, are void of (do not contain) cholesterol.
Cholesterol is a lipid (fat) that is manufactured in many but not all animal species.
Carnivores as an example, are not damaged at all by the high cholesterol in their diets. That is unless you remove their thyroid glands.
Then, for a reason unknown to us, that science is still attempting to uncover, they will at that point react badly and develop atherosclerosis just like humans do.
There are a number of studies being run or being discussed that will or are looking into this phenomenon to see if the answers could be applicable to humans.
It seems rather sad that you have to cut out the glands of an animal to figure out why they don’t get the disease that kills you for killing and eating animals when that’s not what your species is designed to do in the first place.
Why not just stop killing and eating animals and you wouldn’t have to do brutal experiments on puppies or die of heart attacks? They have to remove the glands when they are puppies, or it doesn’t work as well.
Can Vegan Cheese Help Lower Cholesterol?
Absolutely, yes it can. If you replace your current cheese intake with vegan cheese it will help lower your cholesterol by the exact amount that your cow or goat cheese was upping it by.
According to the American Heart Association lowering your bad cholesterol by even 10% can potentially add years to your life.
So, just switching to vegan cheese can make a huge difference and going vegan all the way can literally be life changing.
Does Vegan Cheese Have Lactose?
No, it most certainly does not contain any lactose. Lactose is milk sugar, and this particular sugar is mammalian (comes from mammals) and is not found in the plant kingdom.
The problem with lactose is that the majority of adults are lactose intolerant to at least some degree, with some being so lactose intolerant that even a small amount can end in hospitalization.
If you’re not sure as to your degree of lactose intolerance, please consult your nutritionally educated health care practitioner to get tested so that you know how bad it is for you.
If you know that you are lactose intolerant even just a little, then you should avoid all dairy products. The reason being is that, lactose reactions stimulate inflammation that can actually lead to serious problems for you and potentially even death.
Inflammation is nothing to trifle with, you should read our two articles all about systemic inflammation. You may just be shocked to learn how bad it really is for you. https://healthgetters.com/can-inflammation-kill-you
Does Vegan Cheese Contain Any Dairy?
No, the term vegan denotes that it does not contain any animal products at all. Vegan cheeses are typically made from things like raw creamed cashews or almonds with several other ingredients tossed in of course.
There are a couple of industry boards that regulate how the term vegan or plant based is used and by the standards they set, vegan food must not contain any animal flesh, secretions such as milk or any and all other items that might be derived from animals.
It’s all very tightly regulated, so no, vegan cheese does not contain any dairy whatsoever.
Is Vegan Cheese Inflammatory?
The main ingredients in most vegan cheese products are not only not inflammatory, but in many cases are actually anti-inflammatory. Sure, some companies could slip in an artificial flavoring, spice or herb that might trigger a pro-inflammatory response, but this should not be the norm.
The types of companies that do that kind of stuff are generally the ones that are huge food companies who are playing the ‘me too’ game by adding a few vegan products to their lines.
These are not the smaller mom and pop vegan companies that are truly into it for the ethics, to support animals, end climate change. Those big companies many times just look at it as a new food category that they can move into as the masses start to go towards a new trend.
They are not generally just a vegan company that’s into it with their heart and soul.
I think you know now which kind of companies you need to do business with.
Like us as an example, you should bookmark us and join our mailing list so that we can inform you every time a new post like this one comes out.
You’ll be glad you did.
Can Vegan Cheese Cause Diarrhea?
Yes, it can and here’s why. When you consume vegan cheese, you’re more often times than not going to get a large amount of creamed raw cashews (if it’s homemade) or cooked if from a large company. Your body might not yet be accustomed to all that raw or cooked nut fat, which in a few people could lead to diarrhea for a short period of time while your body adjusts.
There could be other things in it that you may not be used too, but more often than not the raw fat is the culprit if it’s homemade or the cooked fat if store bought.
Many people will get diarrhea when they switch over to a vegan diet just because of the sheer amount of fiber they get on the diet.
Our ancestor’s fiber volume varied by region of course. However, most consumed between 85 and 110 grams of dietary fiber per day.
Today the average American consumes between 2 grams and about 30 grams averaging close to around 15 grams for most people. This is pathetic. To discover more about what our ancestors ate go here!
https://healthgetters.com/which-foods-did-humans-evolve-on-are-best-for-humans-to-eat
Can Vegan Cheese Cause Constipation?
Yes, it can in some individuals and here’s why. Because the typical high quality vegan cheese will be made with creamed cashews the nut fat contained in them can cause changes in your microbiome that can slow digestion. You may also not be used to secreting a large enough amount of bile (the digestive enzyme that typically deals with fat) to handle this type of fat that it’s not really used too.
In some people this nut fat can cause diarrhea as we just discussed above. It depends on your system, the types of foods you’ve conditioned it to eat over time and it can even come down to whether your digestive system is in proper health or not. Although for most people that’s rarely the case.
One of the other challenges that we also discussed above that is much more likely to be the culprit is that you might not yet get enough fiber in your diet.
Your ancestors averaged around 100 grams of dietary fiber per day and the American average sits at around 15 grams and is getting worse and worse each decade.
Back off the cheese for a while, up the fiber in your diet gradually until you’re at least over 75 grams a day and then watch what happens.
More than likely all your constipation issues will be a thing of the past.
You’ve got to remember, even though we love cheese and other super dense no fiber foods that’s not what out body thinks food is.
Your body literally associates fiber with food. In fact, if there is no fiber in it, your body may not fully recognize it as a known food stuff.
Yes, fiber is that important and our systems are that used to it being there.
Can Vegan Cheese Cause Bloating?
Since the definition of bloating is “a swollen state caused by retention of fluid or gas”, yes, it’s possible for vegan cheese to cause bloating. If it were to be able to cause constipation it could do this by backing the system up and allow fluids, gas or both to accumulate.
You can see our section above on whether vegan cheese can cause constipation or not.
Especially if you’re eating the vegan cheese products that are cheap and just made with oil instead whole food of products like creamed cashews.
These cheap, inferior products made by some companies just wanting to turn a profit from your purchase can really give the vegan industry a bad name.
If it all possible stick with the small little mom and pops brands that are in it for the love of veganism.
As you may already know, big corporate, food giant, conglomerates just need to satisfy the shareholders at the annual meeting, or they’ll lose their precious jobs.
Not saying making money is a bad thing. However, when you start making crappy products, selling them for half price of the real ones and pricing the little guy out of the market who loves what they do, so that when people try vegan foods they have a negative experience, yeah, you can kiss our butts.
We are not anti-corporation, just anti jerks.
So, look for really quality ingredients like raw cashews as the base. Even go so far as to call the company and ask them, they will be happy to talk with you.
When you do this, you might pay a little more, but man oh man is it worth it.
When Does Vegan Cheese Go Bad?
Well, we have to tell you to follow the expiration dates. But, over and above that, vegan cheese can mold somewhat similar to regular cheese, and it can develop a soured odor to it.
If you see or smell any of those things, then you should not eat that cheese and get some fresh stuff.
If it’s past the expiration date then you should discard it because vegan cheese doesn’t get better with age, it gives stomach aches instead.
Why Vegan Cheese Is Bad?
This is one of those things where we feel that it’s a matter of opinion. There are some people who only like vanilla and some that just jones over chocolate. Others that love oysters and those that love anchovies. Whether you think vegan cheese is bad, good or in between is mostly a matter of your own personal taste.
However, vegan cheese is not nearly as BAD for the environment, the animals, our health or our children’s future as traditional cheese is, so which one is really bad?
Think about that for a moment before you answer.
Then, as far as the taste of vegan cheese, some love it right off the bat, some take a little time getting used to it and some just never acquire a tasted for it. Either way, that’s ok.
Everyone needs to live their lives and not stress out so much about what other people are doing. Make your own decisions.
Yes, that means that as a vegan you may not want to see this other person eating a chicken leg. That however is their right, just as it’s yours to eat your 15th banana or mango today.
Vegan cheese can be awesome if you’d just give it a chance you might come out liking it and then get what all the hub bub is about.
If you’re not yet vegan, consider it. There is a reason why as of the time of writing it’s the fastest growing diet segment in the world.
Sources
1. https://ifst.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jfpp.14285
3.https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/00346659810208305/full/html
4. http://phinland.net/vegan/vecon2.pdf
7. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-277X.1995.tb00324.x
8. https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/70/3/525s/4714981?login=true 9. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1651-2227.1981.tb05767.x