La Fromagerie is the essence of French culture. Cheese has always been a very important part of every day life for the French, so on May 30th 2018 my Neuroscience class and I went to a cheese tasting and tried a variety of cheeses. We were told that there are over 1000 types of cheese and we learned how certain cheeses are only produced in certain areas of France, which protects its origins and culture. One of our connoisseurs named Ashley even up and left the United States and moved to France because of how enamored she was by the rich blend of science and culture behind cheese making.
My fellow students and I recently read and wrote a review on how dehyroergosterol, which is a compound found on the outside of dairy products fermented with Penicillium candidum, can enhance microglial anti-inflammatory activity and has neuroprotective properties (Ano et. Al., 2015). Researchers first identified DHE as the novel substance with anti-inflammatory effects on certain cheeses then proceeded to test DHE’s effect on levels of certain cytokines related to its anti-inflammatory effect. With further testing, dietary changes could potentially be an alternative and/or additional treatment method for those with neurodegenerative disorders. We also read about how there have already been other studies on how other fermented foods such as kimchi have at large health benefits regarding brain and cognitive function (Kim et al, 2016). I had never really thought about how certain diets could truly affect the brain. Reading these articles before heading to the cheese tasting gave me the opportunity to truly think about every aspect of my visit on a much deeper level than ever before.
One of the cheeses we tasted was Camembert, which was specifically mentioned in the article to contain the sterol DHE. Before I took a bite, I was thinking about how DHE was present on the rind and how it offers health benefits. I had never really thought, down to the exact sterol compound, that deeply before of what I was consuming. It was remarkable how much I was incorporating what I had learned in class in an exciting seemingly un-class related outing. Although through this visit I found out that I was not a huge cheese gal, the experience was still very enriching since I felt so knowledgeable, even if it was essentially one fact about one or two cheeses, on the topic of our visit. I’m excited to see and share how the rest of my trip unfolds!
Sources:
Ano, Y., Kutsukake, T., Hoshi, A., Yoshida, A., & Nakayama, H. (2015). Identification of a Novel Dehydroergosterol Enhancing Microglial Anti-Inflammatory Activity in a Dairy Product Fermented with Penicillium candidum . PLoS ONE, 10(3), e0116598. http://doi.org.proxy.library.emory.edu/10.1371/journal.pone.0116598
Kim, B., Hong, V. M., Yang, J., Hyun, H., Im, J. J., Hwang, J., … Kim, J. E. (2016). A Review of Fermented Foods with Beneficial Effects on Brain and Cognitive Function. Preventive Nutrition and Food Science, 21(4), 297–309. http://doi.org.proxy.library.emory.edu/10.3746/pnf.2016.21.4.297