A new study found that cheese from alpine regions around Gstaad,
Switzerland had high amounts of omega-3 fatty acid alpha-Linolenic acid
(ALA), which has been found to protect against coronary heart disease for
example in the Lyon Diet Heart Study. The reason for high ALA contents is
probably the fact that fresh alpine grass, which cows eat, contains high
amounts of ALA. The alpine cheese also had high content of CLA, another
factor thought to be protective. The study's conclusion:
"Cheese made of milk from cows grazed on alpine pastures had a more favorable fatty acid
profile than all other cheese types. Alpine cheese may be a relevant source of ALA and other
cardioprotective fatty acids."
The study is
Hauswirth CB, Scheeder MR, Beer JH. High {omega}-3 Fatty Acid Content in Alpine Cheese. The Basis
for an Alpine Paradox. Circulation. 2003 Dec 15 [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 14676141 [PubMed - as
supplied by publisher] <URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&li-
st_uids=14676141&dopt=Abstract>
Abstract:
"BACKGROUND: alpha-Linolenic acid (ALA) may protect from cardiovascular disease. Because fresh
alpine grass contains high amounts of ALA, we hypothesized that the levels of omega-3 fatty
acids would concentrate to nutritional relevance in the cheese of milk from cows with alpine
grass feeding compared with cheese from silage and concentrate feeding; the newly available
cheese produced from cows fed with linseed supplementation should contain even higher ALA
concentrations. METHODS AND RESULTS: Forty different cheeses were analyzed by gas chromatography
for their fatty acid profile: (1) 12 from well-defined alpine regions around Gstaad,
Switzerland; (2) 7 commercially available English cheddar cheeses; (3) 6 cheeses from cows fed
with linseed supplementation; (4) 7 industrial-type Emmentals; and (5) 8 alpine cheeses with
partial silage feeding. The alpine cheese contained 4 times more linolenic acid
(C18:3omega-3) compared with cheddar, more total omega-3 fatty acids, and showed a significantly
lower n-6:omega-3 ratio. Conjugated linoleic acid (C18:2 c9/t11) was 3-fold higher, whereas
the amount of palmitic acid was 20% lower. The Emmental reached 40% of the ALA content
compared with alpine cheese, and surprisingly, cheese from linseed- supplemented cows
contained only 49% of that of the alpine cheese (P<0.001 for each trait in the 5 cheese
groups). CONCLUSIONS: Cheese made of milk from cows grazed on alpine pastures had a more
favorable fatty acid profile than all other cheese types. Alpine cheese may be a relevant
source of ALA and other cardioprotective fatty acids."
--
Matti Narkia