Girls who eat a healthy diet in childhood may start their periods later than those with poor diets, according to a new study.
Researchers found that early dietary habits can influence the age of menarche, regardless of a girl’s body mass index (BMI) or height. The findings suggest that nutrition in early life may affect long-term health.
Early menstruation has been linked to higher risks of breast cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. This makes the study’s findings especially important, experts say.
“Our study shows the value of giving all children access to healthy meals,” said Professor Holly Harris, the study’s lead author. “This includes making sure school breakfasts and lunches follow evidence-based nutrition guidelines.”
The research team analyzed data from over 7,500 girls enrolled in the U.S.-based Growing Up Today Study (GUTS). Each girl completed a food questionnaire that described her diet before her first period.
The researchers used two tools to assess the girls’ diets: the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) and the Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Pattern (EDIP).
The AHEI gives high scores for eating fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, and lower scores for eating unhealthy foods like trans fats, red and processed meats, and salt. The EDIP measures how likely a diet is to cause inflammation in the body. High scores on this scale are linked to foods like processed meat, sugary drinks, organ meat, and refined grains.
Out of the total participants, 6,992 girls — or 93% — began menstruating during the study period. The results showed that girls with the healthiest diets (those with the highest AHEI scores) were 8% less likely to get their first period in the following month than those with the lowest scores. On the other hand, girls with the most inflammatory diets (those with the highest EDIP scores) were 15% more likely to begin menstruating soon.
“These two dietary patterns clearly influenced the timing of menarche,” said Professor Harris. “A healthier diet was linked to a later start of menstruation, regardless of BMI or height.”
The study builds on earlier research by Harris and her team. In previous work with the Nurses’ Health Study II, they found that a pro-inflammatory diet during adolescence increased the risk of breast cancer.
“We wanted to explore whether childhood diet could influence known risk factors for breast cancer — like age at menarche,” Harris said.
She added that this new research shows how important early nutrition is. “Eating a healthy diet not only helps prevent chronic diseases later in life, but it may also benefit girls during puberty.”
Harris recommended that children and teens eat more whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, legumes, fatty fish, and healthy fats. They should also limit red and processed meats, sugary drinks, refined grains, and added salt.
“This study is the first of its kind to explore these specific dietary patterns and their link to menarche,” Harris said. “More research is needed in other populations, but these findings offer a strong case for promoting healthy eating from an early age.”
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