PhD defence: Cheese consumption and risk factors for cardiovascular disease and the metabolic syndrome

Farinaz Raziani

PhD thesis

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the main leading cause of death worldwide. In several countries, the CVD-related dietary guidelines proposed by health authorities focus on reducing the intake of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), especially from food categories such as dairy. Thus, low-fat dairy products are advocated in most dietary guidelines to reduce the intake of cholesterol-raising SFAs found in regular-fat dairy foods.

However, these recommendations remain controversial to many, as evidence from observational data found no detrimental association between dairy intake and CVD-related outcomes. Cheese intake, in particular, has been suggested to have a neutral or even beneficial association with CVD-related outcomes and type 2 diabetes (T2D).

The overall objective of this PhD thesis was to investigate the effects of regular-fat cheese with an equal amount of reduced-fat cheese and carbohydrate-rich foods on CVD and T2D-related outcomes including fasting blood lipids, LDL particle size distribution, and postprandial insulinemia and lipidemia.

2017, 138 pages.

Time

15 March 2017, 13:00

Place

Festauditoriet (aud. A1-01.01),
Bülowsvej 17, 1870 Frederiksberg C

Opponents 

Professor Susanne Bügel (chair), Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Professor Kjeld Hermansen, Department of Endocrinology and Internal Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.

Professor Ian Givens, Centre for Food, Nutrition and Health, University of Reading, United Kingdom.

Supervisor

Professor Anne Raben, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Co Supervisors

Associate Professor Tine Tholstrup, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Professor Arne Astrup, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.