Gaius Plinius Secundus Maior was a Roman scholar, officer and administrator. And by the way: a very special cheese lover. After a successful meal, a nice piece of cheese was a must - but not just for the sake of flavour! He also attributed the proverbial "closing effect" to cheese and even dedicated a few lines to this realisation in his treatises. This is probably the origin of the famous quote. But was he really right?
Of course, cheese does not close the stomach in the true sense of the word, but it does help to delay the feeling of hunger. The fats and fatty acids it contains stimulate the production of digestive hormones, which delay digestion, the food stays in the stomach for longer and the feeling of fullness lasts much longer.
