Oily fish could delay the menopause by three years

Eating oily fish could help delay the menopause by three years - while a diet rich in pasta could quicken its onset, research suggests.

The study on more than 14,000 women in the UK 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 UK over a period of four years. 

More than 900 women between the ages of 40 and 65 had experienced a natural start to the menopause by that time.

The study – the first to examine links between food groups and the menopause – found clear links between the two.

Oily fish was the food most associated with later onset of menopause, with a 90g 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 90g portion daily associated with a one year delay.

And on average, meat eaters experienced menopause more than a year later than vegetarians.

A higher intake of vitamins B6 and zinc also appeared to delay the onset, the study found.

The study was observational - meaning it did not demonstrate that the foods caused the later menopause.

Janet Cade, study co-author

Women who go through the menopause early are at an increased risk of osteoporosis and heart disease.

However, those who do so later are more likely to develop breast, womb, ovarian cancers.

Study co-author Janet Cade, professor of nutritional epidemiology, said: "The age at which menopause begins can have serious health implications for some women.

"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."

Researchers said the antioxidents found in legumes might affect the maturation and release of eggs, helping to preserve menstruation for longer.

Omega 3 fatty acids, abundant in oily fish, are also thought to stimulate antioxidant capacity in the body.

Meanwhile, refined carbohydrates can increase the risk of insulin resistance.

This can interfere with the activity of sex hormones and boosting oestrogen levels, leading to quicker depletion of egg supply, the researchers said.

The women provided information on potentially influential factors such as weight history, physical activity levels, reproductive history, and use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

They also estimated the quantities of 217 foodstuffs they ate every day by completing a food frequency questionnaire.

Lead author Yashvee Dunneram, of the School of Food Science and Nutrition, said: "This study is the first to investigate the links between individual nutrients and a wide variety of food groups and age at natural menopause in a large cohort of British women.

"But further studies are needed to improve understanding on how this may impact health and wellbeing."

Kathy Abernethy, chairman of the British Menopause Society, said: “We welcome research like this as age of menopause can affect future health, with women experiencing menopause at a young age having greater health risks later in life if they do not receive appropriate treatment.”

Pointing out that the study was observational - and did not prove particular foods caused an earlier or later menopause, she said there were good reasons to aim for a healthy diet.

“The foods  linked to healthy menopause, such as oily fish and legumes are also good for other health measures so always to be recommended. Whether or not you can change the age of your own menopause simply by diet is less clear,” she said.

Dr Channa Jayasena, Clinical Senior Lecturer and Consultant in Reproductive Endocrinology at Imperial College London said: “This is a large study looking at diet and the age of menopause in a population of women. The body’s metabolism plays an important role regulating ovulation and having periods.

“The authors suggest that women who took more refined carbs, savoury snacks and being vegetarian had an earlier menopause. It is tempting to speculate that this provides a recipe for delaying menopause. Unfortunately, a big limitation of these observational studies, is their inability to prove that dietary behaviour actually causes early menopause. Until we have that type of proof, I see no reason for people to change their diet.”