British scientists have discovered that certain types of artisanal cheese may not only have a unique flavour but also benefit gut health. According to Nutrition Insight, researchers analysed the microbial composition of three British cheeses and identified bacteria with probiotic potential and even natural prebiotic fibres.

A British study has found that three types of cheese may be beneficial to human health. Scientists analysed the bacteria that give these cheeses their flavour and discovered that the properties of the cheese may also be beneficial to those who eat it. 

The study was carried out by a research team from the Food Microbial Sciences Unit at the University of Reading. The researchers identified the microbiological and biochemical characteristics of the ripening process for three local artisanal cheeses produced in Oxfordshire.

“Good cheese is delicious, and the artisan varieties we studied are full of microbial life that could have benefits to your gut health,” says lead author Sabrina Longley, a Ph.D. researcher in the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences. 

“The aging process creates more complex aromas and textures through the work of an army of helpful bacteria. The matrix of fats and proteins in the cheese may also help protect the bacteria as they travel along the digestive tract, making cheese an excellent vehicle for delivery of probiotics to the gut.”

Good bacteria

The study, published in the journal ACS Food Science & Technology, used samples taken at various stages of the ripening process and analysed the chemical composition and bacterial flora of the cheese.

The researchers studied three types of cheese:

  • Bix — a soft bloomy-rind cheese;
  • Highmoor — a semi-soft washed-rind cheese;
  • Witheridge —  a semi-hard cheese aged in hay.

Bacteria with recognised probiotic properties were found in all three cheeses; these can help replenish populations of beneficial bacteria.

In particular, the bacterium Lactococcus lactis was detected in all three cheese varieties. In Bix cheese, this species dominated the bacterial flora at both stages of ripening. In Highmoor and Witheridge cheeses, it was very common in the early stages, but its numbers then declined as other bacteria multiplied.

The bacterium Propionibacterium freudenreichii has been found only in Highmoor and Witheridge cheeses, where it plays a key role in flavour development and the production of propionic acid. This compound has anti-inflammatory properties, helps regulate appetite and reduces cholesterol synthesis. 

Streptococcus thermophilus was also found exclusively in Highmoor and Witheridge cheeses and remained one of the dominant bacteria right up until the end of the ripening process.

Surprising fiber

The authors of the study also note that cheese lovers who eat the rind — the hard outer layer of soft cheese — may enjoy additional health benefits. The rind is formed using the white mould Penicillium candidum, which produces chitin — a prebiotic dietary fibre. It serves as food for other beneficial gut bacteria and may stimulate changes in the gut microbiota.

Hard cheese also exhibits a greater diversity of bacterial species as it matures, as was found when compared with the same cheese at earlier stages of the maturing process.

The study notes that soft cheese contained a higher fibre content than hard cheese, which is surprising given that hard cheese contains hay. Bix cheese contained 1.4 g of dietary fibre per 100 g, compared with 0.5 g per 100 g in Witheridge cheese. 

The researchers also found that in all three cheeses, lactose and sugar from cow’s milk were almost entirely absent by the time the cheeses had matured, as the fermentation process had broken down the lactic acid bacteria.

The authors emphasise the need for further research to confirm how the bacteria behave in the gut, whether they change after consumption, and what overall impact they have on human health.

Source: Nutrition Insight