Ever since a study on the effects of Jarlsberg® cheese on bone health was published in a nutrition journal, interest in this Norwegian cheese has just exploded. “We’ve been getting a lot of people reaching out,” says Valerie Liu, manager of brand strategy and communication for Norseland, which manufactures the cheese. “It’s nice to talk about all of the wonderful attributes of the cheese, (but) we don’t have any comments on the study.” Comment or not, interest in Jarlsberg is now booming. The number of consumers who now know what Jarlsberg is, compared to before the study was published in the BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health Journal in August, is huge. People are going “nuts” for this nutty cheese.
Jarlsberg Cheese Nutrition
The study itself compared the biochemical markers for bone formation, “carboxylated osteocalcin,” of individuals who took 57 grams of Jarlsberg per day, versus individuals who took 57 grams of Camembert per day, says Helge Einar Lundberg, M.D. at Skjetten Medical Centre in Norway and one of the authors of the study.
The individuals who ate Jarlsberg in the study had larger markers of bone production while not increasing their levels of low cholesterol.
Investigators wanted to study Jarlsberg because it is one of the only cheeses that contains Vitamin K2, which has a known positive impact on osteocalcium and bone formation. “First we had to do research to find out the optimal dose, which is about 57 grams per day or about four pre-sliced cheese slices,” says Helge Einar Lundberg, M.D. at Skjetten Medical Centre in Norway and one of the authors of the study. “Jarsberg is the only cheese, to my knowledge, that contains a long-chain version of Vitamin K2. So, we wanted to find out if it is a general cheese effect or is this a Jarlsberg effect?”
They used Camembert as the control cheese because it was made by the same producer as the Jarlsberg so any effects of different producers wouldn’t be introduced into the study, and Camembert “had the same contents of fat, the same contents of protein, of magnesium and calcium and so on” to also control for, Lundberg says.
The results were so positive, strongly suggesting bone formation, that the team is planning future studies on Jarlsberg. Future studies include comparing Norvegia Cheese to Jarlseberg, as “they are identical except for the taste and the contents of propionibacterium freudenreichi and Vitamin K2 9-4H,” Lundberg says.
Jarlsberg & Bone Density
The team is also researching the effect of Jarlsberg on bone density and strength among cross country skiers. “If we could recommend a cheese that contains the calories athletes’ need and even make their bones stronger, that could be a nice thing for athletes around the world,” Lundberg says.
They’re also going to study the cheese and its effects on bone density and the elderly. “I have seen (many) side effects of treatment by drugs so it’s better to treat things with food, if you can, and for you cheese lovers, it will be nice that cheese could be, at last, healthy,” Lundberg says.
Now, the positive effects of Jarslberg on health might be replicated by other Swiss style cheeses like Gruyère or Emmental but those haven’t been studied. “We would have to compare Jarlsberg with similar cheeses in the future,” Lundberg says. “I think the bacteria (cultures) in the cheese are more important than the type of milk, but I don’t know that.”
Beth Gordon, RD, a registered dietician at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital, says that in general, dairy products should help bone health. “Interestingly, the higher content of K2 in Jarlsberg intake versus other cheese consumption was enlightening, and that could be used to improve bone health,” she says. “But people should take note that this study is from Norway, and food availability, lifestyle and genetics may be factor when compared to other countries.”
History of Jarlsberg
With all the scientific studies going on, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the cheese itself was actually developed at a Norwegian university by a professor. A Swiss-style cheese, it was created in 1956 by Professor Ole Martin Ystgaard as a long-term research project at the Dairy Institute at the Agricultural University of Norway in Ås. It was first sold as “research cheese” and “extra cheese” until the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture sanctioned the name Jarlsberg.
Jarlsberg is described sometimes as a cross between Gouda and Emmental, and its mild, nutty taste also boasts some close similarities to Baby Swiss because it has characteristic holes found in Swiss cheeses. Made with various cultures, the holes are due to bacteria Propionibacterium freudenreichii which naturally occurs in milk and is added back into the cheese during production according to a secret formula.
Originally made in Norway, it is now also made in Ireland and the US to support international sales, although the cheese culture still comes from Norway.
“Queso ‘Jarlsberg noruego’” by Mumumío is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Pairing Jarlsberg
“It’s a cheese that plays well with others,” Liu says. She suggests pairing it with Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, amber beers and whiskey. “It also has this great meltability for fondues, omelets, pizzas and burgers,” she says.
Cooking with the cheese doesn’t change its health benefits, Lundberg says. “You won’t destroy anything by making a cheeseburger or pizza or putting it in the microwave,” he says.
But personally, Lundberg says he’s most fond of eating it on a sandwich. “I prefer eating it with butter, with some slices of Jarlsberg and some slices of red pepper,” he says. “I think that is nice with some good bread.”
Jarlsberg Cheese Dip
Kroger’s wildly popular cheese dip is so popular it’s a highly rated search term. While Kroger isn’t revealing the recipe, the ingredients are Jarlsberg cheese, mayonnaise, natural flavors and red onion. You can make your own with this copy cat recipe:
Jarlsberg Cheese Dip Recipe
8 ounces shredded Jarlsberg cheese
½ cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon finely diced red onion
Pinch salt
Combine the cheese, mayonnaise, and onion in a mixing bowl. Taste and add a pinch of salt, or to taste. Serve with crackers, chips or carrot and celery sticks.