New research from Nature Medicine has suggested that eating cheese could be the key to living longer. Now that is a study I can get behind.

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The research suggests that eating spermidine, a compound found in aged cheese, could help you to live longer. So all that delicious stuff you add in your pizza, toasties and pasta is actually doing you a favour.

The group of researchers initially discovered this fact when testing the effects of the compound on mice and rats, and discovered that it increased their average lifespan. They then surveyed 800 Italian people on their diets, where they noted that the higher the intake of spermidine, the lower the risk of blood pressure and heart failure.

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So to conclude, the more cheese you eat (and concurrently spermidine) the lower the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, both of which are leading causes of death in the UK.

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Of course, this doesn’t mean you need to start eating blocks of the stuff, because as we all know cheese is also very high in fat. And you can find healthy sources of spermidine in peas, corn, soy beans and whole grains. But where’s the fun in that? So yes, in a sense, cheese is good for you and I think that’s a bit of news most of us will find very useful. Particularly when it comes to making our favourite munchies food.