Eating a rich and luxurious soft cow’s cheese might not seem like the healthiest choice for a snack, but new research suggests that a special fatty acid present in camembert could actually be improving the function of your brain and memory.
Often baked in the oven with a sprig of rosemary and some garlic, scientists wanted to explore the impact of a high camembert diet on brain function because of this fatty acid present in the cheese. Called myristamide, the researchers found in their trial that “orally administered camembert cheese improved the cognitive decline induced by a high-fat diet”
This substance is produced during the specific fermentation process used to make camembert and is thought to improve brainpower by spiking levels of a protein called a brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Published in Neuroscience Research, the study, explored the impact of a high camembert diet in a lab-based study of male mice and noticed important cognitive benefits.
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Fermented foods were created to better preserve ingredients but there is an increasing awareness of the importance of the fermentation process for creating health benefits. From kombucha to sauerkraut, some experts are now considering whether these types of foods should be included in healthy eating guidelines.
(Image: Getty Images 2021)
In the study, researchers split their cheese-loving subject into two groups, with each given a high-fat diet. However, one group was fed a variety of fatty acids, with some fed a deliciously high camembert diet.
These mice then had their cognitive functions tested by the researchers, with object recognition and location tests to test their ability to remember an object and its location. The fatty acids in their diet were measured, and then samples were taken from their brains to understand each individual’s expression of genes related to brain health.
While many of the healthy fatty acids showed some benefits, the camembert-eating mice saw a marked improvement in their tests. Overall, a high-fat diet typically reduces brain function in these types of tests, but the mice in this group saw their brain function improve, News Medical reported.
Researchers found that administering higher concentrations of myristamide produced better results. However, mice that were given a simpler form of the fermented fatty acid, myristic acid, did not see a cognitive improvement.
In the brains of the camembert-eating mice, there was a higher brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which is thought to improve the formation of synapses in your brain and promote neurogenesis, the process through which you create new neurons. This was found in high concentrations within the hippocampus, the region of the brain associated with learning and memory.
In human studies, Camembert cheese has been shown to increase similar factors and reduce levels of amyloid-beta, a chemical associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. However, more research in people will required to understand how eating this soft French cheese could be improving your cognitive ability.
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