Healthy diet in childhood linked to later onset of menstruation

Eating a healthy diet as a child is linked to girls having their first menstrual period at an older age than those who consumed a less healthy diet, according to a new study published today (Wednesday) in Human Reproduction , one of the world's leading reproductive medicine journals.

The findings remained unaltered by the girls' body mass index (BMI) or height, both of which have been associated with the earlier onset of periods.

The study has implications for health in later life as it is well known that women who started their periods at an early age may be at higher risk for diabetes, obesity, breast cancer and diseases of the heart and blood vessels.

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