Girls who grew up eating healthier than their peers may be less likely to be in their early menstrual periods (regardless of height or body mass index).
Although previous studies have linked height and BMI to early episodes of menarche or phase one, the study, published Tuesday in the journal Human Reproduction, claims to be the first to explore the link between biological milestones and specific diets.
According to the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, girls usually begin to puberty - characterized by acne, growth, breast development and growth of the body and pubic hair. About two years after their breasts began to develop, they obtained the first stage.
Precocious puberty begins in puberty for girls under 8 and boys under 9, but affects only 1% of our children, but girls nationwide get their first stage earlier and earlier. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the median age from 2013 to 2017 was 11.9.
Early menarche is an inappropriate sexual maturity. Throughout puberty, depression, substance abuse, and eating disorders, there is an increased risk of obtaining girls younger than the average age. As adults, their chances of developing breast cancer, heart disease, obesity and other diseases are increased.
To study the possible effects of diet on girls’ first stage era, researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle studied the health records of more than 7,500 children aged 9 to 14, who conducted the study from 1996 to 2004 to 2004 to 2008, thus participating in the two studies growing today, as part of the study.
The researchers used two scales to evaluate girls’ self-reported eating habits. People have studied how children’s diets are healthy, providing more perspectives for healthier foods such as beans, whole grains and vegetables, and deducting points for unhealthy foods, including red meat and products with higher salt and trans fat. The second phase examines how much people’s diet contributes to inflammation, and foods such as delicate grains, high-calorie drinks, and red and processed meat are considered more inflammatory.
The study found that the median age of participants in the first phase was 13.1.
The study estimated that girls who eat the healthiest are more likely to be slightly older than girls who report eating the unhealthiest diet. Similarly, girls who eat the highest amount of inflammatory foods are more likely than girls who eat the lowest amounts of inflammatory foods to get the first stage at a slightly younger age.
The study is observational, meaning it does not prove that a particular diet causes early stages, but rather creates possible connections. The main limitation of the study was that most participants were white. Race and race are good aspects of early menarche, and black and Hispanic girls are more likely to experience it.
One hypothesis that links diet to age in the first phase is that foods a person eats can affect sex hormone levels in the body, the author writes. Previous studies of premenopausal women have found that eating a healthier diet is associated with lower levels of certain sex hormones, including the version of estrogen. Inflammation has also been shown to have an effect on sex hormone levels.
Previous research has shown that excess fat or adipose tissue affects hormone pathways that regulate puberty, said Erin Hennessy, director of the Childbobesity 180 program at Tufts University.
"Adipose tissue produces certain hormones, including leptin, which send signals to the brain, with the idea that higher levels of leptin in children with overweight trigger specific hormones that initiate puberty earlier," Hennessy said in an email. "Adipose tissue can also alter sex hormones, resulting in higher estrogen levels that promote breast development and menarche."
Diet alone does not determine the timing of the first phase of a girl. Genetics, environmental toxins, physical exercise and socioeconomic status, and other factors also play a role. Hennessy says parents can still support their children’s overall health and well-being through nutrition.
“The first strategy is to acknowledge that weight is one of many health factors and should never be the only focus,” Hennessy said. “The second strategy is to take a family approach – everyone in the family can benefit from a healthy diet.”
Third, Hennessy encourages parents to provide nutritional structures that are not mandatory or over-controlled, such as forcing children to eat or use food as a reward. Parental role models are an easy way to guide food choices and help children develop healthy eating habits. Parents may also consider involvement in meal planning and preparation.
If you have any questions, please refer to the Ministry of Agriculture’s Myplate program to make dietary recommendations for children at different developmental stages, Hennessy said.
“The focus should be on major food groups and include a variety of foods in each group,” Hennessy said. Your meals should include “a rainbow of fruits and vegetables; at least half of the cereals are whole grains; lean protein (meat, fish, poultry, eggs, beans and nuts) and low-fat dairy or dairy alternatives.”
In addition, American dietary guidelines encourage limiting sodium, added sugar and saturated fat intake.
“A healthy diet is important to improve your health regardless of your weight,” Hennessy said.
Dr. Rachel Whooten, a pediatric endocrinologist at Massachusetts Children’s General Hospital, says that even for puberty that consumes unhealthy foods for a long time, puberty brings opportunities for positive change.
This is “a critical time to optimize all healthy behaviors – optimizing nutrition, optimizing physical exercise, optimizing sleep, reducing screen time,” Whooten said. “Many of these behaviors do worsen throughout the middle and later in adolescence. … It’s never too late to promote healthier habits.”