A recent study has found that girls who maintain a healthy diet during childhood tend to experience menarche—the onset of their first menstrual period—at a later age compared to those with less healthy diets. This finding, which holds true regardless of body size, could have significant implications for long-term health, as earlier menarche is linked to an increased risk of conditions such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and breast cancer.
Study Overview and Findings
The research, published in Human Reproduction, is based on a cohort of over 7,500 girls and is the first to examine the relationship between dietary patterns and the timing of menarche. The study, conducted between 2001 and 2008, followed participants from The Growing Up Today Study (GUTS). Girls aged 9 to 14 years completed surveys about their diet both before their periods began and at regular intervals during the study.
The researchers utilized the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) and the Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Pattern (EDIP) to assess the quality of the girls’ diets. Ninety-three percent of participants experienced menarche during the study period.
Key Findings
The study revealed that girls with the healthiest diets, as indicated by the highest 20% of AHEI scores, were 8% less likely to experience menarche in the following month compared to those with the least healthy diets. This association persisted even after controlling for factors such as age, race, maternal education, total energy intake, body mass index (BMI), and height.
Conversely, girls who exhibited the most inflammatory diets, as measured by the highest 20% of EDIP scores, were 15% more likely to start menstruating in the subsequent month than those with the healthiest diets. This relationship was also independent of BMI and height.
Implications for Health
The findings suggest that dietary habits, particularly those influencing inflammation, may play a significant role in delaying the onset of menarche. Given that early menarche is associated with an increased risk of various chronic diseases later in life, these results highlight the importance of encouraging healthy eating habits among children and adolescents.
Dr. Holly Harris, lead author of the study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Centre in Seattle, emphasized that these results were independent of body size, further reinforcing the importance of a nutritious diet regardless of BMI. “As earlier menarche is associated with several long-term health risks, this period in a girl’s life may be crucial for mitigating the risk of chronic conditions like diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and breast cancer,” said Dr. Harris.
Call for Improved Nutrition Guidelines
Dr. Harris also called for better access to healthy meals in schools. “These findings underscore the need for evidence-based nutritional guidelines in school meal programs to ensure that all children have access to balanced, nutritious options,” she stated.
The study’s conclusions underscore the critical role of diet in shaping not only immediate health outcomes but also long-term disease risk, making it vital to prioritize healthy eating from an early age.
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