Young girls who eat a lot of red meat start puberty 5 months earlier than others, according to the results of a study published in the medical journal The Journal of Nutrition. Those who have a diet made up of oily fish would have their period triggered later.
Already pointed out by previous scientific studies and suspected of promote breast cancer, and to be bad for the heart, red meat could also increase the risk of precocious puberty.
Researchers at the University of Michigan (United States) analyzed the diet of 456 young girls aged 5 to 12 before their puberty and the age of onset of their periods.
Reduce animal protein from red meat in young girls
The findings of this study showed that young girls who ate red meat regularly began puberty around 12 years and 3 months, while those who ate less often had their first period at 12 years and 8 months. . Puberty for those who ate fatty fish most often started at 12 years and 6 months.
“The early puberty is associated with a high risk of disease later in life, ”explained Erica Jansen, a doctoral student in the university’s School of Public Health. “These findings are significant because few dietary factors are known to influence the timing of puberty. This finding may also help explain why red meat consumption early in life is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer later in life, ”she recalls.
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