Food and drink

Cottage cheese, the ‘trendy’ food that supports muscle mass and gut microbiota

Its high content of good-quality protein and natural probiotics helps to support muscle, bone and gut health

Malaga

30/09/2026 Actualizado a las 12:16h.

At a time when dietary trends are constantly changing, it is important to distinguish between those that are merely fads and those that have a ... genuine positive impact on health. One food that has gained popularity in recent years, largely due to the influence of social media, is cottage cheese. It is credited with a wide range of health benefits and, when it comes to supporting healthy ageing, its high content of high-quality protein and natural probiotics helps to maintain muscle, bone and gut health.

The geriatrician, José Antonio López Trigo, states that there are health-related reasons for considering it a worthwhile food, beyond mere trends. One of the main reasons for incorporating this product into one’s diet lies in its nutritional composition. The specialist emphasises that cottage cheese is "very low in fat" and "contains a high concentration of protein, in large quantities". This combination of nutrients has a key effect on our daily diet: "We are eating something that satisfies our hunger and something that will improve our nutrition". Indeed, its high protein content makes it an ally in combating the loss of muscle mass that is so common with age.

Looking after the gut is another of the key points highlighted by López Trigo. Eating cottage cheese helps to "improve our gut flora, the microbiota". The doctor emphasises that looking after gut health “is not a fad, it is a necessity” to ensure that the gut, which is responsible for regulating numerous bodily processes, “functions and adapts perfectly”. All this is achieved with a product that has ‘a very pleasant texture and a creamy, delicious flavour’, such as cottage cheese.

A balanced and diverse gut microbiota promotes longevity by reducing chronic inflammation, strengthening the immune system and protecting against age-related diseases.

When it comes to serving it, Dr López Trigo highlights its "versatility". It can be used in salads as a lighter alternative to traditional mayonnaise. In fact, the specialist recommends trying the Malaga-style potato salad "sprinkled with a little cottage cheese," assuring us that it is "extraordinary".

In sweet recipes, it serves as a base for combining with fruit. In the case of women in particular, the geriatrician mentions the combination of "cottage cheese with red berries" as an option that also helps to prepare and strengthen the urinary tract to prevent cystitis.

In addition to its nutritional and culinary benefits, Trigo concludes his analysis by highlighting how easy it is to buy and its excellent value for money. It is available in the dairy and chilled sections of any supermarket "at a very affordable price considering all the benefits it offers".

As López Trigo points out, for an estimated cost of six or seven euros, it is possible to buy a kilo of this cheese, which provides a "amount of protein that would far exceed that provided by a kilo of much more expensive products".