Eating lots of rice and white pasta may advance the start of menopause

Including refined carbohydrates like rice and white pasta in your diet may advance the start of menopause by almostoneandahalf years a study has warned The findings of the study were published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health The findings showed that high intake of healthy foods such as oily fish and fresh legumes such as peas and green beans was associated with a later onset of menopauseThere are a number of causes that have been considered for the relationship between age and start of menopause such as genetic factors or behavioural and environmental exposures But there are fewer studies that look at the impact of diet said study lead author Yashvee Dunneram a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Leeds in BritainThe study used data from more than 14150 women living in Britain Along with a detailed diet questionnaire an initial survey collected information on reproductive history and healthWhen a follow up survey and questionnaire were conducted four years later the researchers were able to assess the diets of the women who had experienced the onset of a natural menopause in the interimThe average age at the start of the menopause for women in Britain is 51 yearsMore than 900 women between the ages of 40 and 65 had experienced a natural start of their menopause at the time of the followup survey meaning they had not had menstrual periods for at least 12 consecutive months and menopause had not been brought on by such things as cancer surgery or pharmaceutical treatmentsAnalysis of their diet showed that high intakes of oily fish were associated with a delayed start of menopause by nearly three yearsA diet with lots of refined pasta and rice showed that menopause was more likely to occur oneandahalf years earlier than averageThe age at which menopause begins can have serious health implications for some women study coauthor Janet Cade Professor at the University of Leeds saidPrevious studies have suggested that earlier onset of menopause is associated with lower bone density osteoporosis and increased risk of cardiovascular diseases while later menopause has been associated with a higher risk for breast ovarian and endometrial cancersEven though the new study is observational and cannot prove any cause the researchers offer some possible explanations behind their findings according to a BBC report on TuesdayFor example legumes contain antioxidants which may preserve menstruation for longerSimilarly omega3 fatty acids found in oily fish also stimulate antioxidant capacity in the bodyOn the other hand refined carbs increase the risk of insulin resistance which can interfere with sex hormone activity and raise oestrogen levelsThis might increase the number of menstrual cycles leading to the egg supply running out faster the BBC report saidEdited by midday online desk with inputs from IANSCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates