When doctors see a blood test that shows a quantity of "bad" cholesterol, or LDL, beyond certain levels, they usually order: "no more cheese". And if other results fall outside the norm as well, then the ban becomes absolute. But such judgments are changing in light of the latest scientific discoveries.
In-depth studies carried out at numerous international research institutes, together with highly accurate laboratory tests and examinations, have overturned what once appeared to be an incontrovertible truth.
Today, cheese products made from sheep's milk are drawing increasing attention from both the world of research and consumers. As has been clearly demonstrated, they contain a number of unsaturated fatty acids whose extraordinary nutritional and therapeutic properties allow them to play a decisive role in preventing major pathologies, and especially cardiovascular disease.
The most important of these fatty acids are alpha-linoleic acid, of the omega 3 family, and conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA.

Good for the heart and so much more
When eaten as part of a healthy, balanced diet, pecorino cheese contributes noteworthy quantities of precious bioactive elements capable of significantly reducing the risk factors tied to the eating habits of western countries. Several trials carried out in laboratory animals have shown positive effects of CLA on animal health. Recent experiments in humans using pecorino cheese rich in CLA seem to confirm such a conclusion, showing benefits just after a few weeks. Thus pecorino cheese seems to be effective not only in helping to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood (and therefore the risk of CVD, or cardiovascular diseases), but also in lowering the pro-inflammatory blood parameters involved in the origin of arteriosclerosis and in the threshold of risk for tumors (especially those of the breast and colon). These strengths are a result, first and foremost, of the high concentration of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) found in the renowned sheep's cheese.

All natural, completely healthy
The heightened level of CLA is the result of a completely natural process: the more the sheep graze on grass, the greater the presence of unsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 and CLA) in the products made using their milk, as reported in several studies (with a key contribution from Professor Anna Nudda of the University of Sassari).
Further benefits that have long been credited to milk, include the presence of calcium and essential amino acids (effective against osteoporosis in women past the age of menopause) and its capacity to protect against obesity. An additional, extraordinary strength is the fact that Pecorino Romano cheese can be eaten without trouble by lactose-intolerant individuals, seeing that it contains no lactose.


Two valuable allies for your health
OMEGA-3, FRIEND OF THE HEART
Part of the family of fatty acids, omega-3 are key elements for good health. The key protective properties of the omega-3 acids include their positive effect on cardiovascular pathologies, their strengthening of immune defenses and their confirmed capacity to counter inflammation and protect against cancer. In addition, they contribute to the development of the brain and the visual system in newborns. Seeing that the body is unable to produce omega-3 acids on its own, the only way they can be received is through food. Still, the quantity of omega-3 acids eaten is generally not enough to guarantee valid protection from cardiovascular pathologies. The food that offers the richest supply of omega-3 is fish, but animal fats also contain noteworthy quantities. The increasing pollution of the seas and the gradual depletion of fish resources is increasingly shifting the attention of nutritionists to certain milk-cheese products that naturally contain high concentrations of omega-3.

CLA, THE "GOOD" FAT
CLA, which belongs to the family of polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acids, is found in a number of foods. CLA can make a sizeable contribution to our wellbeing: it protects the coronaries and helps prevent arteriosclerosis, in addition to stimulating the immune system and fighting tumors, oxidation and diabetes. A further plus is its capacity to modify the body mass, reducing the ratio of fatty to lean substances. It is found primarily in milk-cheese products and in the meat of ruminants, being produced from anaerobic bacteria during rumination. But even ruminants are only able to generate it from certain substances that are found in especially large quantities in fresh grass. It is pasture fodder that "passes on" to the product its special nutritional and therapeutic strengths. As is confirmed by the results of the most advanced scientific research, eating pecorino cheese helps lower the level of "bad" cholesterol, or LDL.


The blade of grass that makes all the difference

Sardinia, a region where more than 50% of the farmland is used as pastures, accounts for 90% of the production of Pecorino Romano cheese. The sheep are fed primarily with fresh grass, and the livestock techniques used guarantee respect of the animals and their wellbeing.
With this in mind, the Autonomous Region of Sardinia has passed farming policies under which bonuses are awarded to livestock enterprises that raise sheep and goats according to criteria and procedures which safeguard their health. In addition, Sardinian livestock farmers are required to take part in specific, ongoing training initiatives that cover the full range of problems involved in defending and improving the wellbeing of the animals. The way the sheep eat is definitely a key factor in the quality of the cheese manufactured. Thanks to the pasture grass, fatty acids of particular nutritional and medical value are transferred to the milk and the meat, together with elements that prove highly effective in fighting oxidation (carotenes, vitamin E etc.), as well as aromatic substances capable of highlighting the taste and aroma of foods.

Sheep-milk cheese, so much goodness with so much quality

A comparison of different types of milk shows that sheep's milk contains the greatest quantities of bioactive substances and CLA. Also of note is the fact that practically all sheep's milk, most of which is produced in Sardinia, is earmarked for use in manufacturing cheese. Fortunately, the CLA is not modified during the cheese-making process, and the same holds true for the milk's other fatty acids. As a result, the concentration of CLA registered in pecorino cheese is nearly identical to that found in the milk from which it originates. A further advantage to keep in mind is the fact that during the periods of the year when limited quantities of pasture fodder are available, the CLA content in cheese made from sheep's milk still proves higher than what is normally found in other types of cheese (made from the milk of goats or cows).