Halah Zawawi

Ms. Halah Zawawi

Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

4Years (2023-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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31 March 2023 in Antioxidants
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
MCMegan Churchill
Megan Churchill
HZHalah Zawawi
Halah Zawawi
IEIngrid Elisia
Ingrid Elisia
MSMaxine Seider
Maxine Seider
RNRebecca Noseworthy
Rebecca Noseworthy
SGShannan M Grant
Shannan M Grant
Women with gestational diabetes (GD) have reduced antioxidant capacity; however, the relationship between maternal diet, maternal biochemical capacity, breast milk concentration, and infant intake has not been adequately explored in the literature. An exploration of underlying mechanism(s) is warranted, particularly for nutrient antioxidants impacted by maternal intake. These nutrients may provide a means for modifying maternal and infant antioxidant capacity. Oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), alpha-tocopherol, ascorbic acid, and beta-carotene concentrations were measured in breast milk of women with and without GD. Plasma, three-day diet records, and breast milk were collected at 6 to 8 weeks postpartum. Student’s t-test was used to compare breast milk ORAC, nutrient antioxidant concentration and plasma ORAC between women with and without GD. Pearson correlations were used to determine associations among antioxidant concentrations in breast milk and dietary antioxidant intake. Breast milk antioxidant concentrations were associated with maternal intake of beta-carotene (r = 0.629, p = 0.005). Breast milk and plasma ORAC and antioxidant vitamin concentrations were not significantly different between GD and NG women. Breast milk ORAC associated with breast milk alpha-tocopherol for NG (r = 0.763, p = 0.010), but not GD women (r = 0.385, p = 0.35), and with breast milk ascorbic acid for GD (r = 0.722, p = 0.043) but not NG women (r = 0.141, p = 0.70; interaction p = 0.041). In GD participants, breast milk ORAC was significantly associated with plasma ORAC (r = 0.780, p = 0.039). ORAC and antioxidant vitamin concentrations in breast milk in women with GD were comparable to women with NG; however, the relationships between breast milk ORAC and vitamin concentrations differed in GD versus NG women for alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid.