Girls reaching puberty before age of 10
Girls are now reaching puberty before the age of 10, according to new research in Europe. Early puberty has been linked to obesity, high-protein diets and exposure to chemicals in the food chain, but scientists have not identified a definite reason for this phenomenon. The trend has worried scientists as girls who start their periods early are at higher risk of developing cancer and heart disease. Early puberty also contributes to emotional and psychological problems in young girls.
The study, for which research was carried out in Denmark in 2006, found that breast development in a sample of 1,000 girls started at an average age of 9 years and 10 months, a year earlier compared to a similar study in 1991. The experts believe that this trend applies to Britain, other parts of Europe and the US.
A team of British researchers has found that increased amounts of meat in children’s diets could be the cause of early puberty amongst girls compared to 100 years ago.
The study of 3,000 girls by Brighton University researchers found that girls who had higher intakes of meat and protein at three years old and seven years old were more likely to have started their periods by 12 years old than girls who ate less meat and protein.
Forty-nine per cent of girls eating more than 12 portions of meat a week at the age of seven had started their periods by age 12, compared to only 35 per cent of those who ate less than four portions of meat a week, the study, published in the journal Public Health Nutrition, revealed.
Dr Imogen Rogers, who led the research, said there was evidence that girls who start their periods early were at higher risk of a number of diseases including breast cancer, ovarian cancer and heart disease. However, that did not mean switching to a vegetarian diet. “Meat is a good source of many nutrients including iron and zinc and there is no reason why girls should adopt a vegetarian diet,” Dr Rogers said.
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