This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International licence Newcastle University ePrints -eprint.ncl.ac.uk Lean MEJ,

Stilbenes, in particular trans-resveratrol and its glucoside, are widely reported to be beneficial to health, having been shown to possess antioxidative, anticarcinogenic, and antitumor properties. Major dietary sources include grapes, wine, peanuts, and soy; however, they can also be introduced into the diet through Itadori tea, which has long been used in Japan and China as a traditional herbal remedy for heart disease and strokes. Analysis of grapes, peanuts, and Itadori tea shows that they contain mainly trans-resveratrol glucoside. In contrast, red wines are primarily a source of the aglycones cis- and trans-resveratrol. While peanuts and grapes contain low levels of the stilbenes, Itadori tea and red wine both supply relatively high concentrations of resveratrol. For people who do not consume alcohol, Itadori tea may be a suitable substitute for red wine. However, further study on the potential biological effects of other endogenous compounds in Itadori tea is required and there is also a need for more information on the absorption and in vivo biomedical actions of free and conjugated resveratrol.

OBJECTIVE -Recent evidence suggests that C-reactive protein (CRP) may predict development of diabetes in Caucasian populations. We evaluated CRP as a possible risk factor of the development of diabetes and metabolic syndrome in a 6-year study of 515 men and 729 women from the Mexico City Diabetes Study.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS -Baseline CRP, indexes of adiposity, and insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment [HOMA-IR]) were used to predict development of the metabolic syndrome, defined as including two or more of the following: 1) dyslipidemia (triglyceride Ն2.26 mmol/l or HDL cholesterol Յ0.91 mmol/l in men and Յ1.17 mmol/l in women; Ͻ35 and 40 mg/dl for men and women); 2) hypertension (blood pressure Ͼ140/90 mmHg or on hypertensive medication); or 3) diabetes (1999 World Health Organization criteria).RESULTS -At baseline, CRP correlated significantly (P Ͻ 0.001) with all metabolic indexes in women, but less so in men. After 6 years, 14.2% of men and 16.0% of women developed the metabolic syndrome. Compared with tertile 1, women with CRP in the highest tertile had an increased relative risk of developing the metabolic syndrome by 4.0 (95% CI 2.0 -7.9) and diabetes by 5.5 (2.2-13.5); these risks changed minimally after adjusting for BMI or HOMA-IR. The area under receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the prediction of the development of the syndrome was 0.684 for CRP, increasing to 0.706 when combined with BMI and to 0.710 for a complex model of CRP, BMI, and HOMA-IR.CONCLUSIONS -CRP was not a significant predictor of the development of the metabolic syndrome in men. Our data strongly support the notion that inflammation is important in the pathogenesis of diabetes and metabolic disorders in women. Diabetes Care 25:2016 -2021, 2002C -reactive protein (CRP) is an acutephase reactant that is a marker of inflammation in the body. Mild chronic elevations of CRP concentrations, even when within the clinically "normal" range, are independently predictive of future cardiovascular events (1,2). Recent cross-sectional studies show that elevated CRP levels correlate significantly with features of the metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance syndrome), including adiposity, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, hypertriglyceridemia, and low HDL cholesterol (3,4). A recent study has also demonstrated that high levels of CRP are related to increased accumulation of visceral and subcutaneous fat depots measured by computerized tomography scan (5). Two studies have reported that CRP predicts development of diabetes in postmenopausal women (6) and the elderly (7). These studies require confirmation in other populations and extension to other features of the metabolic syndrome.Therefore, we assessed the 6-year development of diabetes and the metabolic syndrome in relation to baseline CRP levels in 515 men and 729 women from the Mexico City Diabetes Study. The metabolic syndrome was defined as subjects developing two or more of the metabolic disorders (dyslipidemia, hypertension, or diabetes) (8). We also compa...

When colon-derived phenolic catabolites are included with flavanone glucuronide and sulfate metabolites, orange juice (poly)phenols are much-more bioavailable than previously envisaged. In vitro and ex vivo studies on mechanisms underlying the potential protective effects of orange juice consumption should use in vivo metabolites and catabolites detected in this investigation at physiologic concentrations. The trial was registered at BioMed Central Ltd (www.controlledtrials.com) as ISRCTN04271658.

Treatment with the thiazolidinedione troglitazone in human patients with type 2 diabetes decreases intra-abdominal fat mass but does not affect total body fat or weight. This potentially valuable effect points to a differential action on insulin sensitivity in different adipose tissue depots.

HAN, THANG S., KEN WILLIAMS, NAVEED SATTAR, KELLY J. HUNT, MICHAEL E.J. LEAN, AND STEVEN M. HAFFNER. Analysis of obesity and hyperinsulinemia in the development of metabolic syndrome: San Antonio Heart Study. Obes Res. 2002;10:923-931. Objective: To use standardized cut-offs of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and fasting insulin levels to predict the development of metabolic disorders and metabolic syndrome. Research Methods and Procedures:We performed an 8-year follow-up study of 628 non-Hispanic whites and 1340 Mexican Americans, ages 25 to 64 years, from the second cohort of the San Antonio Heart Study. We defined metabolic disorders as dyslipidemia (triglycerides Ն2.26 mM or high-density lipoprotein Ͻ0.91 mM in men and Ͻ1.17 mM in women), hypertension (blood pressure Ն140/Ն90 mm Hg, or receiving antihypertensive medications), and type 2 diabetes (fasting glucose Ն7.0 mM, 2-hour test glucose Ն11.1 mM, or receiving anti-diabetic medications). People with at least two metabolic disorders were defined as having metabolic syndrome. Results: High waist-to-hip ratio and fasting insulin levels were significant predictors of developing metabolic syndrome. High anthropometric indices remained significant predictors of metabolic syndrome after adjusting for fasting insulin. Waist circumference, BMI, and insulin had similar areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (0.74 to 0.76). Further multivariate analyses combining these indices showed minimal increase in prediction. Of subjects who had a combination of high BMI (Ն30 kg/m 2 ) and high waist circumference (above "Action Level 2"), 32% developed metabolic syndrome, compared with 10% of subjects with both low BMI and low waist circumference. Discussion: These findings support the National Institutes of Health recommendations for reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome. Adjustment for baseline fasting insulin levels had only a small effect on the ability of anthropometric indices to predict the metabolic syndrome.

Objectives. To assess attitudes, predictors of intention, and identlfy perceived barriers to increasing fruit and vegetable (F&V) intakes. Design: UK nationwide postal survey utilizing the theory of planned behaviour. Subjects: Stratified (by social class and region) random sample of 2020 UK adults providing a modest response rate of 37% ( n = 741). Results Belief measures (e.g. health, cost, taste, etc.1 were strongly associated with overall attitudes which were reported as being largely favourable towards fruit, vegetables and, to a lesser extent, vegetable dishes, and were strongly associated with reported intention to increase consumption. Subjects reported they could increase their consumption, but this was only weakly associated with intention to do so.

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