Studies have revealed that a high carb diet could lead to early onset of menopause.

Eating lots of pasta and rice has been associated with reaching menopause one and a half years earlier than the average age of menopause.

Whereas a diet of oily fish, peas and beans was found to delay natural menopause.

The University of Leeds studied 914 women in the UK and found this to be so.

However, genetic conditions may have contributed to it.

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It's not clear how big a contribution dietary choices might make and women should not worry about changing what they eat based on the findings.

The research, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, revealed that a diet rich in legumes, delayed menopause by 1.5 years.

Eating lots of refined carbs appeared to accelerate menopause.

The researchers took into account the woman's weight, reproductive history, use of HRT, but were unable to consider genetic factors.

Explanation

According to BBC Health, legumes contain antioxidants, which may preserve menstruation for longer.

Omega-3 fatty acids, which are in oily fish, also stimulate antioxidant capacity in the body.

Refined carbs boost the risk of insulin resistance, which can interfere with sex hormone activity and boost oestrogen levels. This might increase the number of menstrual cycles leading to the egg supply running out faster.