Overview

• A study of over 7,500 U.S. girls found that healthier diets, as measured by AHEI and EDIP scores, were associated with later onset of menstruation.
• The findings indicate that the link between diet quality and menarche timing is independent of BMI and height, challenging traditional assumptions.
• Girls with the healthiest diets were 8% less likely to start menstruation in the next month compared to those with the least healthy diets.
• Conversely, girls consuming diets with higher inflammatory potential were 15% more likely to experience earlier menarche.
• Researchers emphasize the importance of evidence-based school meal standards and plan to explore how early diet impacts adult menstrual health.