On May 30th, we travelled to a local fromagerie for a cheese tasting. We tried 6 different cheeses from different regions of France, including one from the northwest region of Normandy known as camembert. Camembert is a soft cheese that features a creamy center and fermented outer shell. Recent research has been investigating the possible neuroprotective aspects of cheese and dairy products, specifically cheeses that have been fermented with bacteria. Epidemiological studies have shown preliminary evidence that fermented dairy products may be associated with prevention of cognitive decline. A recent study specifically examined the anti-inflammatory effects of microglia, possibly implicated in cases of dementia, and potential components of the cheese surface that could promote this activity (Ano, Kutsukake, Hoshi, Yoshida, & Nakayama, 2015). While this data is not yet clinically applicable, this line of research into neuroprotective effects of simple dietary changes has a lot of potential.
Works Cited:
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). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0116598