Eating only 40g of cheese a day can reduce your risk of heart attack

Cheese, glorious cheese. When Christmas comes around, we love the pungent stuff even more than usual.

And science has just made our day by finding yet another health benefit.

Yes, it may be high in fat but a recent study concluded that eating 40g a day can actually reduce your risk of a heart attack.

Researchers from Soochow University in China studied 15 experiments from Europe and the US which tracked the diet and health outcomes of over 200,000 people.

They concluded that those who regularly ate cheese cut their chances of having a stroke by 10% and chances of developing certain coronary heart diseases by 14%.

If you’re a huge dairy fan, calm down a little: 40g is only the size of a matchbox so you still shouldn’t go too hard with the cheeseboard this month.

So why exactly is the dairy product suddenly good for you?

The researchers believe that cheese’s calcium stops fat being absorbed by the body while raising levels of good cholesterol. An acid that helps prevent the clogging of arteries is also thought to be found in fromage.

The study sums it up nicely, saying: “It contains saturated fatty acids but also has potentially beneficial nutrients.”

Naughty and nice. Perfect for the festive season.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for non-stop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyleUK.

Read more from Yahoo Style UK:

Asda is combining three of your favourite things to make chocolate orange cheese

This is the world’s best fromage, according to experts

This delicious type of cheese is now a superfood