Oily fish could help delay menopause, U.K. study finds
Eating oily fish could help delay menopause by three years, while a diet rich in pasta could quicken its onset, research suggests.
The study of more than 14,000 women in the U.K. found the average age of menopause was 51.
But those having a daily serving of oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines typically experienced it three years later. Meanwhile, a portion of refined pasta and rice a day was associated with reaching the menopause around 18 months earlier, according to the study by the University of Leeds.
The research, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, drew on data from women in the U.K. over a four-year span.
More than 900 women between the ages of 40 and 65 had experienced a natural start to menopause by that time.
The study, the first to examine links between food groups and menopause, found clear links between the two.
Oily fish was the food most associated with later onset of menopause, with a 90-gram daily portion associated with a delay of 3.3 years.
A diet rich in fresh legumes such as peas and beans was also linked to a later menopause, with a 90-g daily portion associated with a one-year delay. And on average, meat eaters experienced menopause more than a year later than vegetarians.
Women who go through menopause early are at an increased risk of osteoporosis and heart disease.
But those who do so later are more likely to develop breast, womb, and ovarian cancers.
“A clear understanding of how diet affects the start of natural menopause will be very beneficial to those who may already be at risk or have a family history of certain complications related to menopause,” said Janet Cade, professor of nutritional epidemiology and study co-author.