TY - JOUR

T1 - Effects of butter from mountain-pasture grazing cows on risk markers of the metabolic syndrome compared with conventional Danish butter

T2 - a randomized controlled study

AU - Werner, Louise Bruun

AU - Hellgren, Lars I.

AU - Raff, Marianne

AU - Jensen, Søren K.

AU - Petersen, Rikke Agnete

AU - Drachmann, Tue

AU - Tholstrup, Tine

N1 - CURIS 2013 NEXS 353

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - Background: There is considerable interest in dairy products from low-input systems, such as mountain-pasture grazing cows, because these products are believed to be healthier than products from high-input conventional systems. This may be due to a higher content of bioactive components, such as phytanic acid, a PPAR-agonist derived from chlorophyll. However, the effects of such products on human health have been poorly investigated. Objective: To compare the effect of milk-fat from mountain-pasture grazing cows (G) and conventionally fed cows (C) on risk markers of the metabolic syndrome. Design: In a double-blind, randomized, 12-week, parallel intervention study, 38 healthy subjects replaced part of their habitual dietary fat intake with 39 g fat from test butter made from milk from mountain-pasture grazing cows or from cows fed conventional winter fodder. Glucose-tolerance and circulating risk markers were analysed before and after the intervention. Results: No differences in blood lipids, lipoproteins, hsCRP, insulin, glucose or glucose-tolerance were observed. Interestingly, strong correlations between phytanic acid at baseline and total (P<0.0001) and LDL cholesterol (P=0.0001) were observed. Conclusions: Lack of effects on blood lipids and inflammation indicates that dairy products from mountain-pasture grazing cows are not healthier than products from high-input conventional systems. Considering the strong correlation between LDL cholesterol and phytanic acid at baseline, it may be suggested that phytanic acid increases total and LDL cholesterol. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01343589 Keywords: Dairy-fat, Low-input system, Phytanic acid, LDL cholesterol, Oral glucose tolerance test

AB - Background: There is considerable interest in dairy products from low-input systems, such as mountain-pasture grazing cows, because these products are believed to be healthier than products from high-input conventional systems. This may be due to a higher content of bioactive components, such as phytanic acid, a PPAR-agonist derived from chlorophyll. However, the effects of such products on human health have been poorly investigated. Objective: To compare the effect of milk-fat from mountain-pasture grazing cows (G) and conventionally fed cows (C) on risk markers of the metabolic syndrome. Design: In a double-blind, randomized, 12-week, parallel intervention study, 38 healthy subjects replaced part of their habitual dietary fat intake with 39 g fat from test butter made from milk from mountain-pasture grazing cows or from cows fed conventional winter fodder. Glucose-tolerance and circulating risk markers were analysed before and after the intervention. Results: No differences in blood lipids, lipoproteins, hsCRP, insulin, glucose or glucose-tolerance were observed. Interestingly, strong correlations between phytanic acid at baseline and total (P<0.0001) and LDL cholesterol (P=0.0001) were observed. Conclusions: Lack of effects on blood lipids and inflammation indicates that dairy products from mountain-pasture grazing cows are not healthier than products from high-input conventional systems. Considering the strong correlation between LDL cholesterol and phytanic acid at baseline, it may be suggested that phytanic acid increases total and LDL cholesterol. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01343589 Keywords: Dairy-fat, Low-input system, Phytanic acid, LDL cholesterol, Oral glucose tolerance test

KW - Dairy-fat

KW - Low-input system

KW - Phytanic acid

KW - LDL cholesterol

KW - Oral glucose tolerance test

U2 - 10.1186/1476-511X-12-99

DO - 10.1186/1476-511X-12-99

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 23842081

VL - 12

JO - Lipids in Health and Disease

JF - Lipids in Health and Disease

SN - 1476-511X

M1 - 99

ER -