Going veggie could SAVE your fertility, by preventing early menopause, experts reveal
GORGING on nuts and tofu can slash a woman’s risk of early menopause by up to 59 per cent, a study claims.
It found eating high amounts of vegetable protein boosted women’s fertility.
The average age for menopause in the UK is 51 – with around two million Brits affected at any one time.
But one in 10 women suffer early menopause, when they go through the change before the age of 45.
It is linked to higher risks of heart disease, osteoporosis and loss of brain power.
Now a US study of 116,000 women found foods rich in vegetable proteins, such as whole grains, soy, tofu, and enriched pasta can protect against the condition.
But scoffing animal proteins, such as meat and dairy, had no effect.
It is unclear how veggies protect women from early fertility loss.
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Lead researcher Maegan Boutot from Harvard University said: “A better understanding of how dietary vegetable protein intake is associated with ovarian ageing may identify ways for women to modify their risk of early onset menopause and associated health conditions.”
The study is published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
It found women who ate the most vegetable proteins were 59 per cent less likely to suffer an early menopause than those that consumed very little.
While women who ate nuts, wholegrains and soya regularly – around three to four portions daily - saw their chances fall by 16 per cent.
The most common symptoms of menopause are hot flushes, with some women suffering up to 20 a day.
They can include sweating, palpitations, and a blushing, and vary in severity.
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