Green Tea Extract and Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Genotype Modify Fasting Serum Insulin and Plasma Adiponectin Concentrations in a Randomized Controlled Trial of Overweight and Obese Postmenopausal Women.

Background: Green tea consumption has been associated with favorable changes in body weight and obesity-related hormones, although it is not known whether these changes result from green tea polyphenols or caffeine.

Objective: We examined the impact of decaffeinated green tea extract (GTE) containing 843 mg of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate on anthropometric variables, obesity-associated hormones, and glucose homeostasis.

Methods: The Minnesota Green Tea Trial was a 12-mo randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of 937 healthy postmenopausal women assigned to either decaffeinated GTE (1315 mg total catechins/d) or a placebo, stratified by catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genotype.

Investigating the association of lactation history and postmenopausal breast cancer risk in the Women's Health Initiative.

Prolonged lactation (≥24 mo) has been associated with reduced breast cancer risk. This research examined this association in postmenopausal women in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Hormone Trial (HT) and Observational Study (OS). This retrospective cohort analysis included 69,358 predominantly overweight (65.

A comparison of Mediterranean-style and MyPyramid diets on weight loss and inflammatory biomarkers in postpartum breastfeeding women.

Background: Of postpartum women, 15%-20% retain ≥ 5 kg of their gestational weight gain, increasing risk for adult weight gain. Postpartum women are also in a persistent elevated inflammatory state. Both factors could increase the risk of obesity-related chronic disease.

Recruitment of lactating women into a randomized dietary intervention: successful strategies and factors promoting enrollment and retention.

Introduction: Recruitment and retention of lactating women require unique strategies to prevent high attrition. The purpose of this report is to identify successful recruitment strategies and evaluate demographic and lifestyle characteristics associated with study completion.

Methods: A randomized, controlled trial was initiated to test the hypothesis that lactating women adhering to a Mediterranean diet will show a significant reduction in anthropometric measurements as compared to lactating women randomized to the USDA's MyPyramid diet for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding (control diet).

Cherries and health: a review.

Cherries, and in particular sweet cherries, are a nutritionally dense food rich in anthocyanins, quercetin, hydroxycinnamates, potassium, fiber, vitamin C, carotenoids, and melatonin. UV concentration, degree of ripeness, postharvest storage conditions, and processing, each can significantly alter the amounts of nutrients and bioactive components. These constituent nutrients and bioactive food components support the potential preventive health benefits of cherry intake in relation to cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, inflammatory diseases, and Alzheimer's disease.

Plasma and dietary carotenoids are associated with reduced oxidative stress in women previously treated for breast cancer.

Dietary carotenoids show numerous biological activities, including antioxidant activity, induction of apoptosis, and inhibition of mammary cell proliferation. Studies examining the role of carotenoid consumption in relation to breast cancer recurrence are limited and report mixed results. We tested the hypothesis that breast cancer survivors with high dietary and plasma carotenoids would show significantly lower levels of oxidative stress than breast cancer survivors with low dietary and plasma carotenoid levels.