Effect of cheese consumption on the accumulation of abdominal adipose and decrease in serum adiponectin levels in rats fed a calorie dense diet

An animal experiment was undertaken to examine the effects of Gouda-type cheese produced using Lactobacillus helveticus on some biological markers of the metabolic syndrome. The study revealed a significantly lower weight of the mesenteric adipose tissue in cheese-fed rats on a 20% fat diet compared with rats fed a similar high fat diet containing casein and butterfat. The amount of cholesterol in very low-density lipoprotein and the serum level of low-density lipoprotein were lower in the rats receiving the cheese diet, for all molecular categories of lipoproteins. While the serum adiponectin concentrations were significantly lower in the control group, there were no significant changes in the cheese diet group during the experimental period. Thus, the results of this study suggest that cheese consumption might have a beneficial suppressive effect on abdominal adipose accumulation and prevent the development of metabolic syndrome. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.