Wagashi cheese: a nutritional treasure trove

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Extract from the article: A soft cheese made from the fresh milk of local cows, wagashi is a delicious product, produced mainly locally by the Peulh communities in northern Togo. Very popular and appreciated for its delicious taste, which satisfies consumers' sweet tooth, wag

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A soft cheese made from the fresh milk of local cows, wagashi is a delicious product, produced mainly locally by the Peulh communities in northern Togo. Very popular and appreciated for its delicious taste, which satisfies consumers' sweet tooth, wagashi is also a product of good nutritional quality.  Consumed regularly but in moderation to maintain nutritional balance, it is a source of essential nutrients and vitamins that are useful for consumption and for the body to function properly. 

Provider of mineral salts

Calcium: Adequate calcium consumption is linked to better bone health (development and solidification). Calcium is essential for children (for bone growth), pregnant women (for foetal bone development), adults and the elderly (for remineralisation). Eating wagashi (thanks to its calcium content) helps to combat the risk of hip fractures and osteoporosis.

Phosphorus: Wagashi is an excellent source of phosphorus. Phosphorus plays an essential role in the formation and maintenance of healthy bones and teeth. It is also involved in tissue growth and regeneration, helps maintain normal blood pH levels and is a constituent of cell membranes.

Studies in humans have shown that eating wagashi can help prevent tooth decay, points out Sandrine Zerbo, a registered dietician and nutritionist specialising in clinical nutrition and enteral and parenteral nutrition. « Among the proposed mechanisms of action, the minerals in cheese (mainly calcium and phosphorus) are thought to prevent the demineralisation of teeth, as well as contributing to their mineralisation.What's more, chewing cheese activates saliva secretion and helps to reduce acidity (raising the pH) in the mouth after eating sugary foods, thereby preventing the onset of tooth decay », explains the nutritionist-dietician.

Zinc: Zinc helps boost the immune system and prevent cardiovascular disease. « Zinc is involved in immune reactions, the production of genetic material, taste perception, wound healing and foetal development.Zinc also interacts with sex and thyroid hormones.In the pancreas, it is involved in the synthesis (manufacture), storage and release of insulin », explains Sandrine Zerbo.

Vitamin provider: Vitamins A, D, B2 and B12

Eating wagashi provides the body with vitamin A, in the form of retinol.Retinol is one of the active forms of vitamin A in the body. This vitamin is essential for eyesight, thanks to its antioxidant properties, but it is also involved in the growth of bones and teeth, maintaining healthy skin and protecting against infection.

Wagashi also contains vitamin D, which plays an important role in the proper functioning of the body.It increases calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood, enabling optimal mineralisation of tissues (bones, cartilage and teeth), blood clotting and good nerve transmission.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) helps maintain good vision, red blood cells and iron. It is also involved in energy production, thanks to its antioxidant role.Nutritionist Sandrine Zerbo believes that « wagashi is a good source of vitamin B2.Also known as riboflavin, vitamin B2 plays a role in the energy metabolism of all cells. It also contributes to tissue growth and repair, hormone production and the formation of red blood cells ».

Vitamin B12 works alongside folic acid (vitamin B9) to form red blood cells. It also helps maintain nerve cells and build bone tissue.

Immunostimulant properties

Wagashi is essentially a fermentation of milk by lactic acid bacteria.It has been shown that fermented dairy products, such as wagashi, may have immunostimulant properties. « Lactic acid bacteria could also colonise the intestine and thus exert a protective action.Foods containing lactic acid bacteria should be eaten on a regular basis to reap all their benefits. Wagashi is also a fermented food, so it contains bacteria or yeast, which help to maintain healthy microbiomes », explains the Specialist in Clinical Nutrition and Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition.

Alternative source of protein to meat

Dairy proteins in general are of good quality.On the one hand, they are much better assimilated than vegetable proteins and, on the other, they are rich in essential amino acids. These proteins help the body assimilate calcium and iron, improve immunity and lower blood pressure.To be complete, protein must contain 8 different essential amino acids (+ histidine, a 9th essential amino acid only for infants and children). Essential amino acids are amino acids that the body cannot synthesise: they must be provided in the diet. Like meat, fish and eggs, wagashi is made up of complete proteins. « To be balanced, a meal must include a source of complete protein, such as wagashi. This cheese contains complete proteins, as it alone contains all 8 essential amino acids.It is therefore an interesting food to include in a meat-free meal. Wagashi cheese contributes to a healthy diet », says Sandrine Zerbo.

High in calories, wagashi can be recommended for the elderly, pregnant women and teenagers with calorie deficiency tendencies. It is therefore a good product for the health and pleasure of the taste buds. 

With the aim of improving the resilience of households living from wagashi production, strengthening the employment of women and young people in the local milk value chain and improving the availability and quality of local dairy products such as wagashi,The NGOs Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Suisse (VSF-SUISSE) and Gestion de l'Environnement et Valorisation des Produits Agro Forestiers (GEVAPAF), with financial support from ECOWAS/ARAA and the Swiss Cooperation, are implementing the « Healthy Wagashi for Optimising the Income of Households Using Local Milk in Northern Togo » (WOMEN) project.

William O.