Girls who grow up eating a healthier diet than their peers may be less likely to get their first menstrual periods at an earlier age — regardless of height or body mass index — a new study suggests.

Though previous research has tied height and BMI to the earlier onset of menarche, or first period, the study, published Tuesday in the journal Human Reproduction, claims to be the first to explore the biological milestone’s link to specific diets.

One hypothesis linking diet and age of first period, the authors wrote, is that the foods a person eats can affect levels of sex hormones in the body.

Previous research has shown that excess fat, or adipose tissue, influences the hormone pathways that regulate puberty, said Erin Hennessy, director of the ChildObesity180 program at Tufts University, who wasn’t part of the study.

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