We all share a love and hate relationship with cheese – while some people cannot get over the irresistible flavour of this dairy delight when added to sandwiches, pizzas, bagels, calzones, lasagnas and so on. But unfortunately, it is often associated with weight gain, obesity, high cholesterol and hypertension. This statement is both a half-cooked truth and a half-cooked lie as some varieties of cheese are safer and more nutritious than others. And if made the right choice, some versions of cheese may even improve blood pressure and cholesterol management naturally – it is Norwegian Jarlsberg cheese.
According to a study published in the British Medical Journal Nutrition Prevention & Health, Norwegian Jarlsberg cheese with regular holes does not affect the body like other similar dairy.
Blessed with a nutty flavour, this mildly and soft cheese is made from cow milk obtained from Jarlsberg in Eastern Norway. Involving 66 healthy women with and average age of 33 and BMI 24, researchers gave 57-gram portion of Jarlsberg and 50 grams of Camembert cheese to them all for six weeks. At the end, people who were given Camembert were switched to Jarlsberg for another six weeks.
While the two cheeses have similar fat and protein content, the Norwegian variety also contains vitamin K2. At the end of six weeks, the blood samples were taken to check for protein, osteocalcin, peptide and vitamin K content in bone turnover. It was observed that the profile was better in Jarlsberg group – and additionally, bad cholesterol levels also dipped significantly in this set of people. They also noticed glycated haemoglobin dip significantly along with a lower risk of diabetes.
The Camembert group of people also reaped the benefits but upon switching to Jarlsberg. Experts of the study said that the benefits are attributed to the difference in methods of cheese preparation which affects the nutrition composition of the cheese. However, experts advise against including it in the daily diet as it is still cheese at the end of the day which can adversely affect health.
Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.
