It's all in the mold . . .

My wife and I thoroughly enjoy cheese of many varieties, so this report pleases us no end.

Scientists at Aarhus University in Denmark investigated the fact that the French tend to lead long and healthy lives while consuming diets high in saturated fats.

Though most explanations of this phenomenon, known as the 'French Paradox', focus on wine consumed and lifestyle, this new Danish research points to a simpler answer.

. . .

Hanne Bertram, a food scientist at Aarhus University in Denmark, compared urine and fecal samples from 15 men whose diets either contained cheese or milk, or ate a diet with butter but no other dairy products.

Bertram found that those who ate cheese had higher levels of butyric acid, a compound which has been been linked to reduced obesity and higher metabolism. The higher butyrate levels were linked to a reduction in cholesterol.

This, Bertram says, "suggests a role for gut microbes and further shore up the connection between cheese and the French paradox."

This, admittedly small, study isn't the only research to link cheese consumption to the French Paradox.

In 2012, research suggested it was specifically Roquefort cheese that helped guard against cardiovascular disease, leading to good health and longevity.

Dr Ivan Petyaev and Dr Yuriy Bashmakov said the cheese, known for its mould and green veins, had specific anti-inflammatory properties that contributed to the occurence of the French Paradox.

There's more at the link.

Miss D. enjoys blue cheese far more than I, so she can have the Roquefort.  I'll have more red wine with my Brie and Camembert to make up the difference.  That way we'll both live forever!




Peter