Could the foods you eat help determine when you start menopause? They might, says a new study published online April 30 by the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Researchers found that women who ate more fish and beans and other legumes started menopause at a later age, while women who ate a diet heavy on refined pasta and rice went through the change earlier. How old a woman is when she goes through menopause may have implications for her health. Past research has linked certain health risks to menopause that occurs either very early before age 40 or late age 55 or older. Going through menopause at an earlier age has been associated with lower bone density and a higher risk for osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, depression, and — in some instances — premature death. While overall later menopause is probably healthier, it is associated with an elevated risk of developing breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancers. The average age for menopause is 51, and the women in this study were close to that number, with an average age at menopause of Sylvia Ley, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School.
A literature search was done using PubMed. The age at natural menopause ANM depends on various factors like genetic, environmental, socioeconomic, reproductive, dietary, and lifestyle of which some like nulliparity, vegetarian diet, smoking, high fat intake, cholesterol, and caffeine accelerates; while others like parity, prior use of oral contraceptive pills, and Japanese ethnicity delays the ANM. ANM is an important risk factor for long-term morbidity and mortality; and hence, the need to identify the modifiable risk factors like diet and lifestyle changes. Delayed menopause is associated with increased risk of endometrial and breast cancer, while early ANM enhances the risk for cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis. The correlation between diet and ANM has not been extensively studied; however, whatever studies have been done till now point towards role of high intake of total calories, fruits, and proteins in delaying the ANM, while high polyunsaturated fat intake accelerates it. The role of dietary soy, total fat, saturated fat, red meat, and dietary fiber in determining the ANM has been controversial and needs further studies to substantiate it. The lifestyle factors like current smoking and vigorous exercise have been significantly associated with early menopause, while moderate alcohol consumption delays the ANM. Large prospective studies are needed to study the association of ANM and other modifiable factors like passive smoking fish consumption, soy, and various types of tea. The knowledge of modifiable determinants of ANM can help in setting up menopausal clinics and initiating health programs specially in developing countries. Natural menopause has been defined by World Health Organization WHO as at least 12 consecutive months of amenorrhea not due to surgery or any other cause. The mean age at natural menopause ANM is 51 years in industrialized nations, while it is 48 years in poor and non-industrialized nations.
Many women prefer to avoid hormone creams entirely and use ordinary lubricants or moisturizers instead. Ann Intern Med. This study does have limitations. It is an important event in the life of women and with the increase life expectancy at birth for women they spend about more than one-third of their lives in this phase. Current calcium supplementation and lifelong fish consumption influencing ANM need larger studies for confirmation. Sylvia Ley, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School.
There are dietary steps and other lifestyle changes that can make menopause much more manageable. Loading Something is loading. And for every additional serving of refined pasta and rice a woman ate each day, menopause was on average 1. Past research has linked certain health risks to menopause that occurs either very early before age 40 or late age 55 or older.