Blue cheese, known for its mould and blue-green veins, has anti-inflammatory properties that can ward off heart diseases, scientists say.
The Roquefort cheese or blue cheese,
aged in caves in the South of France, could be among the reasons why the
French enjoy good health despite a diet high in saturated fat -- a
situation dubbed "The French Paradox", researchers said.
A process that occurs as the cheese
ripens is good for a healthy gut, helps slow arthritis, and can slow the
signs of ageing, such as cellulite, according to Cambridge-based
biotech company Lycotec.
Researchers found that the properties of
the blue cheese worked best in acidic environments, such as the lining
of the stomach, the 'Daily Mail' reported.
The research, led by Dr Ivan Petyaev and
Dr Yuriy Bashmakov suggests regular consumption by the French of
Roquefort, Camembert and other moulded fermented cheeses could be one of
the reasons the nation has the lowest rate of cardiovascular mortality
in the developed world.
Experts said Roquefort's properties could be extracted and used in pharmaceutical and anti-ageing products.
"Observations indicate that consumption
of red wine alone cannot explain the paradox and perhaps some other
constituents of the typical French diet could be responsible for reduced
cardiovascular mortality.
"We hypothesise that cheese consumption,
especially of moulded varieties, may contribute to the occurrence of
the 'French paradox'," researchers said.
Leading nutritionist Zoe Harcombe, however, was sceptical about the findings.
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