Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, May 8: A new study has found that girls who consume diets rich in vegetables, legumes, and whole grains may experience a later onset of menstruation, a development linked to better long-term health outcomes.

Published in the journal Human Reproduction, the study revealed that the timing of menarche — a girl’s first menstrual period — was influenced by overall diet quality, independent of body mass index (BMI) or height, both of which are typically associated with earlier puberty.

Lead researcher Holly Harris, Associate Professor at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, emphasized the broader public health implications of the findings. “Our results underline the importance of giving children and adolescents access to healthy meal options. School meal programs should be grounded in evidence-based nutrition,” she said.

The study followed over 7,500 children aged 9 to 14, analyzing their eating habits through two dietary scoring systems:

• Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI): This pattern favors high intake of vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and discourages red meat, processed foods, trans fats, and excess salt.

• Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Pattern (EDIP): This evaluates diets based on their potential to cause inflammation, with higher scores linked to more pro-inflammatory foods like refined grains, organ meats, and sugary drinks.

The researchers observed that girls with healthier AHEI scores and lower inflammatory EDIP scores tended to begin menstruation at a later age. Early menarche has been linked in previous studies to a greater risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and breast cancer later in life.

“These results suggest it's not just weight or height, but the quality of food — and its impact on body inflammation — that may be key to influencing puberty timing,” said Harris.

The findings add to a growing body of evidence emphasizing the long-term health benefits of plant-forward, nutrient-rich diets, especially during critical growth phases in childhood and adolescence.