Healthy Diet in Childhood Delays Onset of First Menstrual Period

Healthy Diet In Childhood Delays Onset Of First Menstrual Period

Hey, parents and kids! Turns out your dinner plate might have more say in your body’s schedule than you thought. A new study drops a truth bomb: kids who chow down on healthier foods tend to get their first period later than those who don’t. Yeah, your broccoli and berries aren’t just good for your brain — they might just be hitting pause on puberty’s start button.

Researchers dug into data from over 7,500 girls aged 9 to 14. They tracked what these kids ate using fancy diet scores — one for healthy stuff like fruits, veggies, whole grains, and another for inflammation-triggering foods (think junk food and soda).

The verdict? Girls eating the healthiest diets were 8% less likely to start menstruating in any given month compared to those with less healthy diets. Meanwhile, the junk-food fans were 15% more likely to jump into the period club sooner.

And this isn’t just about weight or how tall you are. The study, published in Human Reproduction and reported by The Washington Post, says diet has its own superpower in timing puberty, independent of other factors.

So, what’s the takeaway? If you want to keep those first periods fashionably late, load up on whole foods and ditch the processed stuff. It’s not just about feeling good now — it might help reduce risks of future health headaches like diabetes and heart disease.

Who knew? Your food choices growing up aren’t just about avoiding hangry meltdowns — they’re shaping your body’s timeline in real-time. Puberty might not wait for anyone, but it definitely listens to what you feed it.