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Eating Cheese Won't Increase Risk Of Heart Problems, Study Says

HOUSTON, Texas (CBS Local) - A new study is giving cheese lovers a reason to celebrate. Researchers say eating dairy products won't increase your risk of developing heart problems later on in life.

According to research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, saturated fat found in milk and cheese did not contribute to cardiovascular disease in a large group of seniors examined for two decades.

The 22-year study followed more than 2,900 people over the age of 65. Researchers found that patients with higher levels of fatty acids in their blood had a 42-percent lower risk of dying from a stroke.

"Our findings not only support, but also significantly strengthen, the growing body of evidence which suggests that dairy fat, contrary to popular belief, does not increase risk of heart disease or overall mortality in older adults," lead author Marcia Otto of UTHealth School Public Health said, via The Independent.

"Consumers have been exposed to so much different and conflicting information about diet, particularly in relation to fats."

Another study in 2017 also pointed to cheese being a positive for your diet. Those findings, in the European Journal of Nutrition, concluded that people who ate large amounts of cheese could lower their risk for heart disease by up to 14 percent.

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