This cheese may help fight osteoporosis
A new clinical trial suggests that a small portion of a mild Norwegian cheese may help to stave off bone thinning.
One serving of 57 grams of Norwegian cheese per day may be suitable for your health: This daily portion of Jarlsberg can help to stave off bone thinning (osteoporosis), suggests a small comparative clinical trial, which has been published recently in the BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health journal. This type of cheese has been described as mild and semi-soft and is made from cow’s milk. The name comes from the region Jarlsberg in eastern Norway.
Boost osteocalcin levels
Previous research indicated that Jarlsberg might help boost osteocalcin levels – this hormone is associated with strong bones and teeth. However, whether this effect is specific to Jarlsberg or any cheese is unclear. To find out, researchers studied 66 women who were randomly allocated to add either a daily 57 g portion of Jarlsberg or 50 g of Camembert cheese to their diet for six weeks. After this period, the group eating Camembert was switched to Jarlsberg for another six weeks. Every six weeks, blood samples were taken from all the participants to check for key proteins, osteocalcin, and a peptide (PINP) involved in bone turnover. Vitamin K2 and blood fat levels were also measured.
Markers of bone turnover
The results: Blood sample analysis showed that the key biochemical markers of bone turnover, including osteocalcin and vitamin K2 increased significantly after six weeks in the Jarlsberg group. Among those in the Camembert group, levels of PINP remained unchanged, while those of the other biochemical markers fell slightly. But they increased significantly after switching to Jarlsberg; PINP levels also increased.
Positive effect
“Daily Jarlsberg cheese consumption has, therefore, a positive effect on osteocalcin, glycated haemoglobin and lipids,” the researchers wrote. Professor Sumantra Ray, Executive Director, NNEdPro Global Centre for Nutrition and Health, which co-owns the journal, said: “Different methods of preparation mean there are key differences in the nutrient composition of cheese, which has often been regarded as a homogenous food item in dietary research to date.” As this was a small study in young and healthy people designed to explore novel pathways linking diet and bone health, the results need to be interpreted with great caution, he added – and it shouldn’t be taken as a recommendation to eat a particular type of cheese.