Holly Harris of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and colleagues analyzed data from a prospective study and found that girls with a healthier diet are more likely to reach menarche later. The analysis included data from 7,530 participants (ages 9–14) in two waves of the GUTS study, which were recruited in 1996 and 2004, with follow-up continuing through 2001 and 2008, respectively. All participants completed dietary questionnaires and reported the age at which they began menstruating. Diet was assessed using the AHEI and EDIP scales. Data were processed using Cox proportional hazards models. The study results were published in the journal Human Reproduction.
During the follow-up period, 93 percent of participants reached menarche. Girls in the highest quintile of the AHEI (healthiest diet for chronic disease) scale were 8 percent less likely to experience menarche in the following month than those in the lowest quintile (p = 0.03). Conversely, those in the highest quintile of the EDIP (most pro-inflammatory diet) scale were 15 percent more likely than those in the lowest quintile (p = 0.0004). These correlations persisted after adjusting for height and body mass index. Given that early menarche is associated with an increased risk of diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and breast cancer later in life, dietary interventions in childhood may serve as a potential preventative measure.
