Jarlsberg cheese consumption is associated with favourable changes in bone turnover markers and BMD in postmenopausal women and older men: a randomised clinical trial.

Introduction: Osteoporosis remains a significant global health issue, and prevention of age-related bone loss is of particular interest.

Aim: To assess whether daily Jarlsberg cheese fermented by Propionibacterium freudenreichii (PF) is associated with changes in bone turnover markers and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women and men aged ≥55 years.

Methods: The study was performed as a randomised semi-cross-over designed multicentre trial using delayed start-up. 57 postmenopausal women and men ≥55 years, both with BMD T-score between -2.5 and 0, who did not use any osteoporosis medication were included. All participants received daily calcium and vitamin D. One group was randomly allocated to Jarlsberg from start till 32 weeks, whereas the second had a 16-week delay before Jarlsberg start-up for 32 weeks. Bone turnover markers and BMD were assessed every 16 weeks.

Results: In the Jarlsberg group, total osteocalcin (OC) increased from 18.8 to 23.5 ng/mL at week 32 (p<0.01), carboxylated OC from 11.8 to 17.3 ng/mL (p<0.001) and the ratio between procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide (P1NP) and crosslinked C-terminal telopeptide of type 1-collagen (CTX) (P1NP/CTX) from 168.8 to 203.9 (p<0.01). Lumbar spine BMD increased from 1.151 to 1.163 g/cm² (p=0.04) and total hip BMD from 0.929 to 0.933 g/cm² (p=0.02). The differences between groups in BTM were significant in favour of Jarlsberg cheese. After Jarlsberg was introduced, OC-level, biomarkers and BMD increased.

Conclusion: Jarlsberg intake alongside calcium and vitamin D was associated with favourable increases in OC-related markers, P1NP/CTX ratio and BMD in postmenopausal women and older men.