Exploring the influence of cheese consumption on blood metabolites: Implications for disease pathogenesis, with a focus on essential hypertension.

This study examines the causal effects of cheese consumption on blood metabolites and essential hypertension using Mendelian randomization (MR). Genome-wide association study data from the Open GWAS project and FinnGen Biobank were analyzed, focusing on cheese intake, 249 metabolic traits, and hypertension. Instrumental variables were selected based on strict criteria, and causal relationships were assessed using inverse-variance weighing, weighted-median, and MR-Egger methods. Cheese consumption significantly influenced 118 metabolic traits, including AA, cholesterol esters, and triglycerides. Notably, it was linked to a reduction in hypertension risk (odds ratio = 0.652; 95% CI: 0.541-0.785). Mediation analysis identified 50 metabolic traits as intermediaries, accounting for 0.88% to 8.25% of the total effect. These findings suggest that moderate cheese intake may benefit cardiovascular health by lowering hypertension risk, emphasizing the importance of cheese type and dietary context in health recommendations.