Wonder why the French have lower heart disease rates and smaller waistlines despite a diet high in saturated fat? Experts used to credit wine and lifestyle, but now, a new study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry suggests cheese may play a role. Yes, we’re serious…and pretty ecstatic. Best of all, the study is backed up by older research corroborating cheese’s potential metabolism-revving effect.
For the study, researchers compared urine and fecal samples from people whose diets were high in either cheese or milk, or who ate a control diet with butter but no other dairy. Those who consumed cheese had higher fecal levels of butyrate—a short chain fatty acid produced by gut bacteria—compared to the other groups. These elevated butyrate levels were associated with significantly less elevation in “bad” LDL cholesterol than the control group, suggesting that cheese may be healthier for your heart than some other types of dairy. (Here’s how to hack your gut bacteria for easier-than-ever weight loss.)
While it’s not totally clear how butyrate works its magic, some animal studies show that this fatty acid improves insulin sensitivity, increases energy expenditure (essentially speeding up metabolism), and reduces inflammation-inducing oxidative stress, says Morten R. Clausen, PhD, study co-author. A 2009 animal study in the journal Diabetes also linked butyrate to a reduced risk of obesity.
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