Vitamin D is thought to slow the ageing of women’s ovaries while calcium-rich foods make women 13 per cent less likely to suffer. Around one in 10 women go through menopause before the age of 45, increasing their risk of osteoporosis and heart disease and reducing their chances of conceiving.
Menopause is the time in most women’s lives when menstrual periods stop permanently and they are no longer able to bear children. Menopause typically occurs between 49 and 52 years of age.
Medical professionals often define menopause as having occurred when a woman had not had any vaginal bleeding for a year.
The main natural source of Vitamin D is sunlight; however, it also appears in oily fish, egg yolks and fortified cereals.
In the United States, where Vitamin D is added to milk and cheese, the researchers found that dairy products specifically cut the danger of an early menopause, but the effect may be limited elsewhere.
Additional studies were needed to see if Vitamin D supplements affect early menopause, the researchers concluded.
The new United States’ study, which involved Harvard University researchers, analysed 116, 430 female health workers over two decades.
Their diet was recorded in food questionnaires five times over that period, during which 2,041 women entered menopause.
The results revealed that among those who consumed the most Vitamin D, their risk of entering menopause was 17 per cent lower.
A high calcium intake reduced the risk by 13 per cent, which was thought to be due to cows’ milk containing menopause-delaying sex hormones.
These results were found after adjusting for other risk factors, such as weight and breastfeeding history.
According to the lead author, Alexandra Purdue- Smithe, from the University of Massachusetts; “Not only is early menopause associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia and osteoporosis, it can also affect women’s chances of conceiving for years. “For example, a woman set to have her menopause when she is 43 could be struggling to conceive from the age of 33.
“Scientists are looking for anything that can reduce the risk of early menopause and things like diet, which can be easily altered, have wide-ranging implications for women.
“Women may reduce their risk of early menopause by eating foods rich in Vitamin D and Calcium, such as dairy foods and fatty fish.”
