Getting the right nutrients in childhood may reduce the risk of early menstruation, study shows

More healthy and less inflammatory foods are linked to lower risk of early menstruation, according to a new study. Inti St Clair/Tetra images RF/Getty Images via CNN Newsource

The foods you pack in your kids’ lunch boxes may have an impact on whether they experience their first menstrual cycle too early, according to new research.

Eating a more inflammatory diet was associated with a 15% greater chance of kids having their first period in the next month, whereas a healthier diet reduced the risk by 8%, according to a new study published Tuesday in the journal Human Reproduction.

An early start to menstruation isn’t just inconvenient –– it is a marker for chronic conditions, said senior study author Dr. Holly Harris, associate professor of epidemiology at Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle. And younger generations are starting their periods earlier and taking longer to become regular.

An early first period, which is impacted by both genetics and external factors, is associated with a higher risk of breast cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes later in life, Harris said.

“This may be an important time period for lowering risk of chronic diseases that occur in adulthood,” she added.

It’s not just about weight

The study relied on data from more than 7,500 children ages 9 to 14 enrolled in the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS). Researchers surveyed the kids in 1996 and 2004 and followed up with them in 2001 and 2008, respectively.

Researchers measured diets in two ways: the Alternative Healthy Eating Index, which rates foods and nutrients that predict chronic disease, and the Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Pattern, a dietary index that can assess a diet’s ability to affect chronic inflammation.

The study used well-designed statistical models to evaluate the connection between the quality of diet and age at which menstruation started, said Dr. Zifan Wang, a research associate at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in the department of environmental health. He was not involved in the research.

“Eating a healthy diet in late childhood and early adolescence is associated with girls having a later first period compared to those consuming a less healthy diet. Importantly, this association was not explained by the impact of diet on body size,” Harris said.

The previous understanding was that overeating high calorie foods may impact early menstruation because the accumulation of body fat signals hormones to initiate puberty, Wang said.

But the connection was still there even when researchers accounted for body mass index, or BMI, he added.

That means childhood obesity was likely not the only factor influencing the connection between early menstruation and diet –– another factor related to unhealthy or inflammatory eating may be contributing, Wang said.

“Other pathways might be possible that are worthy of further investigation,” he said.

What to do for your kids

Many environmental factors influence the age at which menstruation starts, including being exposed to high levels of air pollution and personal care products that may contain chemicals that can disrupt the endocrine system, Wang said.

It is difficult to eliminate your own or your child’s exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and there aren’t clear labeling requirements to tell you which products may risk exposure, Dr. Michael Bloom, professor of global and community health at George Mason University College of Public Health in Fairfax, Virginia, said in a previous article.

However, there are reputable online databases available to the public to search for safer personal care products, such as SkinSafeProducts.com, developed by allergists and dermatologists with the Mayo Clinic, and Skin Deep from the Environmental Working Group, said Bloom, who was not involved in the latest study.

There are guidelines for the dietary patterns associated with reduction in the risk of early menstruation. In this study, researchers assessed healthy diets as those that included fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, whole grains, and nuts and legumes, Harris said.

Those diets in the inflammatory pattern included red and processed meats, refined grains and sugar-sweetened beverages, which include soda, fruit juice and diet soft drinks, she added.

“Our findings highlight the need for all children and adolescents to have access to healthy meal options, and the importance of school-based breakfasts and lunches being based on evidence-based guidelines,” Harris said.

Changing the way your child or teen eats may feel like quite a task, but small steps make a difference.

“We know that calories from ultra processed foods make up about 70% of a typical teenager’s intake,” said Dr. Natalie Muth, a pediatrician and registered dietitian at the WELL Clinic at Children’s Primary Care Medical Group in San Diego, in a previous CNN story. “Any change that can lower intake of things like chips, cookies, and sodas and increase intake of fruits and vegetables is a big win.”