Simple Food May Halt Early Menopause

Simple Food May Halt Early Menopause

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Early menopause (and premature menopause) can be a frightening reality for many women. That’s because this condition can come with a variety of not-so-nice symptoms.

Premature menopause” is typically shown in women under the age of 40. However, “early menopause” can be a reality for women up to the age of 45.

Despite the difference of ages/times in onset, the symptoms are typically similar. These include osteoporosis, increased risk of mortality, cardiovascular disease, and more.

However, a new scientific discovery could start providing women hope. This discovery could halt the effects and repercussions of early/premature menopause.

And, as 1 in 20 women deal with these issues, this scientific discovery could provide hope for millions of women worldwide.

According to Medical News Today: 

“Eating foods rich in vegetable protein – such as tofu, enriched pasta, nuts, and breakfast cereal – is linked to a lower risk of early menopause, compared with consuming protein that comes mainly from animal sources.
So concludes a new study – led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, MA – published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.”
“In their discussion of earlier related research, they explain that while previous studies have looked at protein intake and timing of menopause in women, to their knowledge, theirs is the first to examine it in relation to early menopause.
“Study participants in these evaluations were substantially older at baseline than in our study, precluding the ability to specifically evaluate risk for early menopause,” they note.

Detailed food questionnaires

Thus, for their study, the team analyzed data from the Nurses’ Health Study II to examine the link between diet and early menopause.

Their analysis covered 85,682 women who experienced natural early menopause from 1991 onwards. It did not include women who underwent early menopause that had been induced – for example, by hysterectomy or chemotherapy.

The detailed food questionnaires filled in by the participants allowed the researchers to look at food and beverage consumption over the period prior to onset of early menopause.

The detail included how often the women had consumed individual servings of 131 food, beverage, and supplement types. The reported frequency ranged from “never,” to “once a month,” to “six or more times per day.”

Over the period covered by the study (1991 to 2011), the results showed that 2,041 women experienced early menopause.

Three to four vegetable protein servings

When they analyzed the data, the team found that higher vegetable protein consumption was linked to a lower risk of early menopause.

In contrast, they found no link between high animal protein intake and early menopause, one way or the other.

Specifically, the results showed that women with a 6.5 percent daily calorie intake taken up by vegetable protein had a 16 percent lower risk of early menopause, compared with women whose vegetable intake took up only 4 percent of their daily calories.

If one assumes that a woman’s daily calorie intake comes to around 2,000 per day, then 6.5 percent in vegetable protein is the equivalent of three to four servings (or 32.5 grams) each day of foods such as nuts, tofu, breakfast cereal, and enriched pasta.

The link was the same when the team took into account other factors that have been linked to early menopause, including smoking status, body mass index (BMI), and age.”

The researchers also stated they wanted to do further research. In particular, they want to see the correlation between vegetable proteins and lower risk of early menopause. They suggested that soy and non-soy vegetables may have different effects on the likelihood of early menopause.

However, these scientific findings can begin to give hope to women across the globe.

By simply adding foods that are rich in vegetable proteins to the diet, this can help to reduce the chances of the side effects that come with early menopause.

And, with tasty options such as enriched pasta, tofu, nuts, and breakfast cereal, the process of doing so might be just as delicious as it is necessary for health.