• Weight
  
• Body mass index (BMI)
  
• Waist circumference/sagittal abdominal diameter
  
• Proportion of body fat (bioelectrical impedance analysis [BIA], dual energy x-ray absorptiometry [DEXA])
  
• Serum lipids (triglycerides [TG], cholesterol [chol], high-density lipoprotein [HDL] chol, low-density lipoprotein [LDL] chol, apolipoprotein (apo) B, apo A1, fatty acid composition)
  
• Blood glucose, HbA1c%
  
• Serum insulin, C-peptide
  
• Blood pressure (systolic blood pressure [SBP], diastolic blood pressure [DBP])
  
• Marker of fibrinolysis: plasminogen activator inhibitor [PAI-1]
  
• Markers for inflammation: micro C-reactive protein (microCRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), 15-keto-DH-prostaglandin F2 alfa (in urine), fibrinogen
  
• Markers of endothelial function: vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM), vWillebrand factor
  
• Lipid peroxidation (“oxidative stress”): 8-F2-isoprostanes (in urine)
  

• Adiponectin, leptin
  
• LDL particle size
  
• Gene expression in leukocytes
  
• Direct measurement of insulin sensitivity
  
• Glucose tolerance test (0, 30, 60, 90, 120)
  
• Fat load test (0, 4, 6)
  
• Serum free fatty acids (FFA)
  
• Fat content of faeces
  
• Polymorphisms in genes with direct influence on relation between endogen lipid synthesis and lipid oxidation (AMP-kinase, SREBP1c, stearoyl desaturase-SCD1, acetyl-CoA carboxylase-ACC2, acyl-CoA synthetase-ACS1)
  

Inclusion Criteria:

Apparently healthy men and women aged 30-65 years with:

• BMI < 35 kg/m2.
• Having signed a written informed consent
• Limited habitual intake of dairy products according to dietary questionnaire.

• Traits of the metabolic syndrome - two or more of the following criteria fulfilled:

  • Fasting plasma glucose ≥ 6.1 mmol/l
  • Serum triglycerides ≥ 1.7 mmol/l
  • Serum HDL cholesterol < 1.0 mmol/l (40 mg/dl) (men) and < 1.3 mmol/l (50 mg/dl) (women)
  • Blood pressure ≥130/ 85 mmHg
  • Waist circumference >94cm (men) and >88cm (women).

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients with any of the following conditions will not be included in the trial:

• Known Type 1 diabetes, or treated type 2 diabetes.
• With HbA1c ≥ 7,5% at the first blood sample.
• Pregnant or lactating women.
• Known abnormal thyroid hormone levels, or high thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level.
• Having received an investigational drug in the last 30 days before date of randomisation.
• Unable or unwilling to comply with the protocol.
• Likely to withdraw from the study before its completion.

Concomitant medications:

• With a lipid lowering drug (fibrate, statin) within the last 6 weeks before randomisation.
• Treated with antidiabetic drugs.
• Treated with Cyclosporin A.
• Change within the last 6 weeks before randomisation and during the study in the medications that could interfere with the lipid profile (i.e., anti- hypertensive drugs, oral corticosteroids, thyroid hormones, retinoids, thiazidic derivative, hormone replacement therapy).
• Treated with oral anticoagulants.
• Treated with protease inhibitors (indinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir)
• Treated against obesity: medical treatment within the last 6 weeks (orlistat, sibutramine) and/or surgery (gastroplasty, bypass).

Associated diseases or conditions:

• Diabetic ketoacidosis, diabetic pre-coma.
• Current chronic pancreatitis, or identified risk or known history of acute pancreatitis.
• Hepatic insufficiency, acute alcohol intoxication, alcoholism.
• Known cholelithiasis without cholecystectomy.
• AST and/or ALT > 2 times the upper normal limit (UNL).
• Renal failure or renal dysfunction defined by serum creatinine levels > 135 µmol/L in males and > 110 µmol/L in females.
• Recent myocardial infarction (within 3 months prior to randomisation),
• Known gastric or peptic ulcer or intestinal disease within the previous 3 months of randomisation capable of modifying the intestinal absorption of the drugs.
• Any other severe pathology such as cancer, mental illness, etc, which in the opinion of the investigator might pose a risk to the patient or confound the results of the study.
• Blood pressure >160/100 mmHg.
• Body weight changes exceeding ± 5% of total body weight during the last three months before admission. Drugs affecting lipid and glucose metabolism, weight reducing drugs, antihypertensives and other drugs with known metabolic effects.