title: Mothers' Consumption of Soy Drink But Not Black Tea Increases the Flavonoid Content of Term Breast Milk: A Pilot Randomized, Controlled Intervention Study.
abstract: We performed a pilot RCT to prove the hypothesis that a controlled ingestion of polyphenol-rich beverages (soy drink, decaffeinated black tea) in nutritive dosages by nursing women has an effect on the composition (flavonoid concentration, total antioxidant capacity) of breast milk.
  
  
  
  Healthy nursing women were supplemented with either 250 mL of a soy drink (12 mg isoflavones; n = 18), 300 mL decaffeinated black tea (67 mg catechins; n = 18), or 300 mL water (n = 8, control) for 6 days. Milk samples were collected before, during, and after intervention. Flavonoid content (isoflavones/catechins, HPLC) and total antioxidant capacity of milk and test drinks in milk specimens were assessed.
  
  
  
  Isoflavone content (genistein and daidzein) in breast milk increased up to 12 nmol/L after soy drink consumption; the major flavonoids constituents of black tea (catechin, epicatechin, and respective conjugates) could not be detected in milk samples. With both interventions, the total antioxidant capacity of breast milk was not affected.
  
  
  
  Mothers' daily consumption of a soy drink considerably increases isoflavone content of breast milk resulting in an estimated daily exposure of 9.6 nmol isoflavones in a 4-month-old suckling infant. Luminal flavanol uptake from black tea consumed by the nursing mother may be too low to affect flavanol concentrations in breast milk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology and Paediatric Intensive Care, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jochum
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Alteheld
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Meinardus
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dahlinger
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nomayo
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stehle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis*; D019833:Genistein / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000032:analysis; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D059808:Polyphenols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis; D041942:Soy Milk / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013662:Tea; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005419:Flavonoids; D007529:Isoflavones; D018977:Micronutrients; D059808:Polyphenols; D013662:Tea; C004742:daidzein; D019833:Genistein
keywords: Antoxidant capacity; Breast milk; Flavanols; Isoflavones; Soy; Tea