Cottage cheese: Do the protein claims add up?
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Cottage cheese is having a moment. It’s being added to dips, mixed into batters and even used in pizza and brownies. It’s touted as a high-protein food that can help build muscle and lose fat. But the research supporting these benefits is not quite as abundant as the number of viral cottage cheese recipes that are out there.
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My colleagues and I published a review last year which provided a full breakdown of the available evidence.
Interestingly, our review did not identify any published studies which directly examined the effects of cottage cheese on muscle mass, growth and function. There were also no studies investigating whether eating cottage cheese leads to meaningful changes in body weight or body composition.
This means that much of the current hype around cottage cheese and its benefits is really only based on what we know about protein in general. There is actually relatively little research on the impact that cottage cheese has on muscle gain and weight loss.
What the research says
Cottage cheese is relatively low in fat compared with many other cheese varieties, making it high in protein relative to its fat and calorie content. This means you can consume a high amount of protein without necessarily consuming as much fat or calories as you might...