Dietary habits, sexual maturation, and plasma hormones in pubertal girls: a longitudinal study

Several studies have reported that girls are reaching puberty and menarche (onset of menstruation) at a much younger age than they were several decades ago. This has been attributed to changes in dietary habits. Studies have reported that the amount and distribution of body fat may play an important role in determining menarche. Female sex steroids such as estrogen are required for sexual development and they are influenced by the distribution of body fat. Also, it has been reported that dietary fiber may reduce the amount of estrogen in the body by increasing the amount of estrogen that is lost from the body in feces. To investigate the relationship between diet, hormone levels and menarche, 63 pubertal girls were studied. The effects of dietary fiber and vegetable protein on menarche and breast development were determined. The girls who consumed less dietary fiber had higher blood levels of estrogen, had earlier breast development and reached menarche earlier than those who consumed more fiber in their diet. The results of this study suggest that a low-fiber diet may increase the rate of breast development and cause menarche to occur at an earlier age. These findings are significant because it has been reported that girls who mature earlier may have a greater risk of developing breast cancer. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)