American Chemical Society's Weekly PressPac -- March 12, 2008

Researchers report that cheese from yaks could be healthier than cheese from dairy cattle. When compared to cheddar cheese, yak cheese contained higher levels of several healthful fatty acids. Click here for more information.

ARTICLE #1 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Heart-healthy yak cheese
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

In a finding likely to get cheese lovers talking, researchers in Nepal and Canada report that yak cheese contains higher levels of heart-healthy fats than cheese from dairy cattle, and may be healthier. Their study is scheduled for the March 12 issue of ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication.

Producers make the cheese from the milk of yaks. Those long-haired humped animals are fixtures in Tibet and throughout the Himalayan region of south central Asia, Mongolia, and a few other countries. Yak cheese has only recently become available in the United States and is available in select gourmet food stores. Studies by others have shown that certain types of dairy-derived fatty acids, particularly conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), may help fight heart disease, cancer and even diabetes. However, little was know about the fatty acid composition of yak cheese.

In the new study, Brian W. McBride and colleagues compared the fatty acid composition of yak cheese from Nepal with that of cheddar cheese obtained from Canada. They found that levels of CLAs were four times higher in the yak cheese than the dairy cow cheese. Levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are healthy for the heart, were also significantly higher in the yak cheese, the researchers say.

ARTICLE #1 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE “Fatty Acid Composition of yak (Bos grunniens) Cheese Including Conjugated Linoleic Acid and trans-18:1 Fatty Acids”

DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT ARTICLE http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jf0725225

CONTACT:
Brian W. McBride, Ph.D.
University of Guelph
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Phone: 519-824-4120, ext. 53695
Fax: 519-836-9873
Email:

ARTICLE #2 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Toward the next generation of high-efficiency plastic solar cells
Journal of the American Chemical Society

Researchers in the United States and Austria report an advance toward the next generation of plastic solar cells, which are widely heralded as a low cost, environmentally-friendly alternative to inorganic solar cells for meeting rising energy demands. Their study is scheduled for the March 19 issue of ACS’ Journal of the American Chemical Society, a weekly publication.