Scientists have identified the bacteria that contribute to the distinctive flavors of three British artisan cheeses and suggest that some of these microbes may also offer potential health benefits. The study, published in ACS Food Science & Technology, focused on three varieties made by Nettlebed Creamery in Oxfordshire: a soft white rind cheese aged for about a week, a washed rind semi-soft cheese maturing over several weeks, and a semi-hard cheese aged in hay for approximately nine months. The research found that all three cheeses contained bacteria with recognized probiotic potential, including Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactococcus lactis, and Propionibacterium freudenreichii. These bacteria may help support populations of beneficial microbes in the gut and have anti-inflammatory properties, reduced cholesterol synthesis, and appetite regulation.

Additionally, cheese rinds may also have prebiotic potential. The white mold Penicillium candidum on the soft cheese studied produces chitin, a dietary fiber that could act as a prebiotic, encouraging positive changes in the gut microbiota by serving as food for beneficial bacteria. Furthermore, during the maturation process, lactose, the sugar in cow’s milk that some people have difficulty digesting, was almost entirely absent from all three cheeses once they had matured due to fermentation breaking down most of it. The researchers caution that further research is needed to determine how these bacterial populations behave and change within the gut microbiota after consumption and what effects they ultimately have on human health.

This is a summary. Read the original at sciencedaily.com.