Intake of Fermented Dairy Products Induces a Less Pro‐Inflammatory Postprandial Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell Gene Expression Response than Non‐Fermented Dairy Products: A Randomized Controlled Cross‐Over Trial

Scope - It is aimed to investigate how intake of high‐fat meals composed of different dairy products with a similar fat content affects postprandial peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) expression of inflammation‐related genes, as well as circulating inflammatory markers and metabolites. Methods and results - Healthy subjects (n = 47) consume four different high‐fat meals composed of either butter, cheese, whipped cream, or sour cream in a randomized controlled cross‐over study. Fasting and postprandial PBMC gene expression, plasma metabolites, and circulating inflammatory markers are measured. Using a linear mixed model, it is found that expression of genes related to lymphocyte activation, cytokine signaling, chemokine signaling, and cell adhesion is differentially altered between the four meals. In general, intake of the fermented products cheese and sour cream reduces, while intake of the non‐fermented products butter and whipped cream increases, expression of these genes. Plasma amino acid concentrations increase after intake of cheese compared to the other meals, and the amino acid changes correlate with several of the differentially altered genes. Conclusion - Intake of fermented dairy products, especially cheese, induces a less inflammatory postprandial PBMC gene expression response than non‐fermented dairy products. These findings may partly explain inconsistent findings in studies on health effects of dairy products

The inheritance of cardiovascular disease risk

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is foremost among the non‐communicable diseases (NCDs) which account for 71% of deaths globally each year. CVD is also prominent among the pre‐existing conditions still accounting for nearly 25% of maternal deaths and is linked to gestational diabetes and pre‐eclampsia. Markers of CVD risk have been reported even in young children, related to prenatal factors such as mother's diet or body composition. The underlying mechanisms include epigenetic changes which can alter the trajectory of risk across the life course. Preventive interventions need to commence before conception, to reduce transmission of CVD risk by promoting healthy behaviours in prospective parents, as well as in pregnancy, and postpartum through breastfeeding and healthy complementary feeding. Surprisingly, these opportunities are not emphasised in the 2018 United Nations Political Declaration on NCDs. NCDs such as CVD have communicable risk components transmitted across generations by socio‐economic as well as biological factors, although the former can also become embodied in the offspring by epigenetic mechanisms. The inheritance of CVD risk, and social inequalities in such risk, thus raises wider questions about responsibility for the health of future generations at societal as well as individual levels