Study design and intervention
HCC, RCC
RCC
The study was a randomized, cross-over control design, consisting of 3 × 2-week periods with a 2-week washout period, in a free-living cohort, designed to test the effect of varying the intake of calcium within cheese during each intervention period. Participants were randomly assigned to a sequence for the three cross-over arms, and were provided with all their food (including the experimental cheeses), and water (to ensure balanced calcium intake) for each 2-week intervention period. The three diets during these arms contained 240 g daily of cheese; a High Calcium Cheese (HCC) diet, a Reduced Calcium Cheese (RCC) diet, and a control arm, consisting of the same Reduced Calcium Cheese + CaCO3 Supplement (RCC + Supp), to match the calcium content of the High Calcium Cheese diet (See Table An overview of the macronutrient content provided by the 3 dietsThe mean daily nutrients provided from the experimental menus, without the experimental cheeses are also shown, for reference. SDs values are not available for each diet period, since values are based on the same food menu (shown in ‘Food Only’) for each diet, with the different cheeses added. Values were calculated from the nutrition information provided from the food packaging (tesco.ie) for the macronutrients, and calcium content was estimated using Nutritics softwareParticipants were also asked to refrain from alcohol, and from other dairy foods during the 2-week study periods, and to eat the cheese without heating or melting, as per a previous study [