What foods should children limit to avoid early puberty?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), precocious puberty is determined when girls show signs of puberty before age 8 and boys before age 9. Signs of early puberty in girls include breast development, hair growth in private areas, armpits, vaginal discharge, menstruation or acne. Signs in boys are genital development, pubic hair growth, mustache, broken voice, and acne.

Early puberty in children may be related to diseases or health problems, such as endocrine abnormalities, ovarian cysts, ovarian tumors, pituitary tumors, adrenal tumors… Some risk factors include can cause children to reach puberty early such as being overweight or obese, eating a lot of fast food, processed foods, containing many chemicals and other psychological and environmental factors.

To reduce the risk of children experiencing early puberty, parents need to pay attention to their children’s nutrition in the following ways.

Limit high-fat, processed foods: Abusing foods high in fat such as fried foods can disrupt hormones and stimulate early puberty. Processed foods often contain a lot of calories but little nutrition, easily causing obesity and affecting your baby’s development.

Increase plant protein: Eating a lot of animal protein is associated with an earlier risk of puberty. Replacing with plant proteins such as beans, seeds, whole grains, and vegetables such as squash, corn, carrots, and tomatoes is necessary.

Do not abuse animal meat and milk: Chemicals that accumulate in animal tissues can affect the endocrine system. Your baby should reduce meat and cow’s milk products, replacing them with plant-based milks such as almond milk and walnuts.

Exercise and health check: Children need to be encouraged to exercise regularly, appropriate to their physical condition. Exercise contributes to energy consumption, improves bone and joint health, and regulates endocrine.

You can take your baby for early puberty examination at medical facilities that specialize in pediatrics, endocrinology, and nutrition for specific diagnosis and advice. Doctors will examine and recommend a suitable treatment regimen. At the same time, doctors advise on nutrition and scientific exercise to help intervene or limit the risk of early puberty.