title: Cheddar Cheese Ripening Affects Plasma Nonesterified Fatty Acid and Serum Insulin Concentrations in Growing Pigs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Meta-analyses of observational studies found cheese consumption to be inversely associated with risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. This may be attributed to the bioactive compounds produced during cheese ripening.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to investigate by means of a porcine model how cheeses with different ripening times affect blood glucose, insulin, and lipid concentrations and fecal-fat excretion.
  
  
  METHODS
  A parallel-arm randomized intervention study with 36 Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc crossbred 3-mo-old female pigs was conducted. The pigs were fed a 21-d butter-rich run-in diet (143 g of butter/kg diet), followed by a 14-d intervention with 1 of 3 isocaloric diets: 4-mo ripened cheddar (4-MRC) diet, 14-mo ripened cheddar (14-MRC) diet, or 24-mo ripened cheddar (24-MRC) diet (350 g of cheese/kg diet). Serum cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and insulin; plasma nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs) and glucose; fecal-fat excretion; and body weight were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma NEFAs were lower in the 24-MRC (201 ± 26 μEq/L) and in the 14-MRC (171 ± 19 μEq/L) diet groups than in the 4-MRC diet group (260 ± 27 μEq/L; P = 0.044 and P = 0.001). Serum insulin was lower in the 24-MRC diet group (1.04 ± 0.09 mmol/L) than in the 4-MRC diet group (1.44 ± 0.14 mmol/L; P = 0.002), but intermediate and not different from either in the 14-MRC diet group (1.25 ± 0.11 mmol/L). Likewise, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance was lower in the 24-MRC diet group (0.030 ± 0.003) than in the 4-MRC diet group (0.041 ± 0.005; P < 0.01), but intermediate and not different from either in the 14-MRC group (0.036 ± 0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intake of long-term ripened cheddar improved indicators of insulin sensitivity in growing pigs compared with short-term ripened cheddar. This may also be important for human health.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, and tkt@nexs.ku.dk.
authors.forename: Tanja K
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9637-8689
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Thorning
authors.affiliation: Departments of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, and.
authors.forename: Nathalie T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Bendsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Søren K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; and.
authors.forename: Ylva
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ardö
authors.affiliation: Departments of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, and.
authors.forename: Tine
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tholstrup
authors.affiliation: Departments of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, and.
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Astrup
authors.affiliation: Departments of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, and.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raben
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight; D002079:Butter; D002611:Cheese; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood*; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D013552:Swine; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D007328:Insulin; D014280:Triglycerides; D002079:Butter
keywords: HOMA-IR; NEFA; blood lipids; cheddar; cheese ripening duration; dairy; fecal-fat excretion; glucose; insulin sensitivity; porcine model