Eating Cheese May Enhance the Immune System

Eating cheese may help to preserve and enhance the immune system by acting as a carrier for probiotic bacteria, say researchers from the University of Turku in Finland. Dr Fandi Ibrahim and colleagues enlisted 31 healthy nursing home residents aged from 72 to 103 (median 86) to study the effects of eating a commercial probiotic cheese on the immune system. The probiotic cheese contained approximately 109 CFU day of the "friendly" bacteria Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 and Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM. Results showed that eating the probiotic cheese enhanced the activation of NK blood cells and phagocytic activity, both of which are parameters of innate immunity. "The aim of our study was to see if specific probiotic bacteria in cheese would have immune enhancing effects on healthy older individuals in a nursing home setting," concluded Dr Ibrahim. "We have demonstrated that the regular intake of probiotic cheese can help to boost the immune system and that including it in a regular diet may help to improve an elderly person's immune response to external challenges."