In this study the investigators aimed at verifying whether consumption of a sheep cheese, naturally enriched in alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and vaccenic acid (VA), would modify the plasma lipid and endocannabinoid profiles in mild hypercholesterolemic subjects.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 42 adult volunteers (19 male and 23 female) with diagnosed mild hypercholesterolemia (total cholesterol 220-290 mg/dL),
• 30-60 years of age

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnant (or those planning to become pregnant during the study period) and lactating women were excluded;

• also individuals with a self-reported history of diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, gallbladder or biliary disease in the past 12 months, and lactose intolerance before the screening visit.

• In addition, those with a history of cancer (except non-melanoma skin cancer) in the 2 years before screening, or of any major trauma or surgical event within 3 months before screening, were not enrolled.

• Volunteers with the following characteristics were also excluded:

  • total cholesterol ≥ 300 mg/dL,
  • serum triglycerides ≥ 250 mg/dL or ≤ 200 mg/dL,
  • HDL ≥ 70mg/dL,
  • BMI ≥ 30, or
  • uncontrolled hypertension (systolic blood pressure ≥ 160 mm Hg or
  • diastolic blood pressure ≥ 100 mm Hg) at screening.