Cheese is gouda for your bones…but only if you eat Jarlsberg! –

Eating cheese may be key to maintaining healthy bones in old age, research suggests.

But the benefits don’t come from eating cheddar, mozzarella, or even camembert.

Instead, the glaze appears to come from Jarlsberg, a delicate, nutty-flavored cheese originally from Norway.

Scholars have found that eating just two slices a day may be enough to ward off osteoporosis.

This condition gradually weakens bones, which makes them more fragile and increases the likelihood of fracture with age.

66 women in their thirties participated in the study, which lasted an average of 12 weeks.

They were asked to add 57g of Jarlsberg per day—about the equivalent of two sandwiches—to their usual diet, or 50g of Camembert for six weeks.

Cheeses have been compared as they have similar fat and protein content. Jarlsberg, on the other hand, is rich in vitamin K2.

Blood samples were taken before and after the experiment, published in the British Medical Journal in Nutritional Prevention and Health.

Volunteers from the Camembert group were transferred to Jarlsberg after the first six weeks to see how the cheese they ate affected their bodies.

Levels of osteocalcin, which is responsible for binding calcium to bones and giving strength to bones, were highest in Jarlsberg’s group.

It also had much more vitamin K2, which experts say is “important for bone health.”

No such effect was observed in the Camembert group.

However, the group saw levels of both peaks when they switched to eating Jarlsberg.

Surprisingly, calcium and magnesium levels, both of which are known to be beneficial for bone health, fell in those who ate Jarlsberg.

But academics from Norway’s Skjetten Medical Center said the decline was simply a reflection of increased mineral absorption by participants who ate Jarlsberg.

They claimed that “daily consumption of Jarlsberg cheese has a positive effect on osteocalcin and other indicators of bone formation.”

The researchers suggest the findings suggest that the effects are unique to Jarlsberg.

They said the results show that cheese can help prevent osteopenia, the pre-osteoporosis stage.

But they cautioned that more research is needed to confirm this.

The researchers also did not measure changes in bone density or strength, which means that increased vitamin K2 may not actually cause a reduction in osteoporosis risk.

Other experts have warned that the study, which was co-funded by Jarlsberg maker TINE SA, should not be taken as a recommendation to eat a particular type of cheese.

Nutritionist Professor Sumantra Ray, from the University of Cambridge, co-owner of the journal, said: “This study shows that although calcium and vitamin D are known to be extremely important for bone health, there are other factors as well, such as vitamin K2, which may not be as well known.

‘Due to the different preparation methods, there are significant differences in the nutritional composition of cheese, which until now has been generally considered a homogeneous food in nutritional research. This should be addressed in future studies.

“As this was a small study in young, healthy people designed to explore new pathways linking diet and bone health, the results should be interpreted with extreme caution, as study participants are not necessarily representative of other groups.”

“And it shouldn’t be taken as a recommendation to eat a particular type of cheese.”

Dr. Duane Mellor, registered dietitian at Aston University, said:[The study] It does not provide any evidence of a real change in bone density or strength, as these will take much longer than six weeks to become visible.

The association with changes in vitamin K is interesting as Jarlsberg contains this nutrient and Cambert control does not.

“However, there are many other sources of this vitamin in our diets, including dark green vegetables including kale.

“As the researchers only asked participants to stick to their normal diet, which changes naturally, and did not try to control it, this could mean that their vitamin K intake may have decreased both at the start of the study and during the study.” . diversify.’

Osteoporosis is more common in postmenopausal women, affecting 3 million in the UK and 10 million in the US.

Most people go undiagnosed and are given bone-strengthening tablets until a bone breaks.